David Richardson said that cricket will not be included in the Olympics if the sport is not unified.GETTY IMAGES
The Int'l Cricket Council's global strategy to popularize cricket and develop the game "hinges on the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics and Asian Games," according to Arani Basu of TNN. But the ICC's ambition "faces a major roadblock" in the BCCI's anti-doping policy and its "reluctance to come under the ambit" of India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). ICC CEO David Richardson said that efforts are being made to get the BCCI to adhere to WADA's norms and reach a middle ground with the NADA. While the NADA has been "pressing hard" to get the BCCI "under its ambit," the cricket board has resisted, saying that it is "not a national sports federation funded by the government." Richardson said, "It's for BCCI to decide how much government interference they can allow. We are trying to help BCCI sort out the issues with WADA and NADA." According to the ICC's global strategy survey, 87% of the cricket-following fans want to see cricket being played in the Olympics (TNN, 9/25).
