High Level Commonwealth Talks Discuss Future of Cricket

The Commonwealth Games have been a key vehicle for the promotion of cricket

The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General welcomed all countries to the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting 2024 in Paris /

It might be the world’s most influential gathering of bureaucrats tied to the sport of cricket in sometime. The 11th Commonwealth Ministers of Sports Meeting is ongoing in Paris on the sidelines of the 2024 Paris Olympic games.

Sports ministers from the 56-member countries of the Commonwealth, along with partner organisations, diplomats, and business leaders have gathered today for the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting in Paris, France.

The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General said:

“It is a real privilege and a pleasure to be here in Paris for the next Olympics games and for the Commonwealth Sports ministers meeting which will take place right here. We are determined to make sure that the sports play its part not only delivering the Sustainable Development Goals but helping our members to achieve that which they aspire in terms of using sports for peace, development, education and for the economy. So, we look forward with great anticipation as we welcome all our countries to the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting 2024.”

One of the partner organizations for the event is the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS). This independent body providesadvice to the Commonwealth on sport and is headed by two-time Cricket World Cup Winner Deryck Lance Murray.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience sport that is safe, welcoming and inclusive. As the first Canadian to chair a Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting, I am excited to collaborate with other countries and learn from their experiences, as we harness the power of sport to build strong and resilient societies," said Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity of Canada.

Last year it was confirmed that the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will feature Cricket as a sport. The next Commonwealth games will be in 2026 but, the site is still to be determined. The games have never been held in Africa. Cricket will be one of the sports contested at the games.

By then the Commonwealth of Nations will have a new Secretary General. Mamadou Tangara of Gambia is seen as the leading candidate to be the next Secretary General of the Commonwealth. The veteran diplomat is an avid sports fan. He currently serves as the minister of Foreign Affairs for that country.