The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics; Ricky Ponting Excited by The Return of Cricket

Ponting's vision is to be a mentor or coach for the Australian cricket team

Ponting excited as cricket is part of the Olympics Games /

By Caroline Chepkorir

Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting showed his excitement about the returns of cricket in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He believes that the exposure will give the sport a new audience. He also insisted that this opportunity will largely expand cricket's reach and popularity.

Cricket was last featured in the Olympic Games in 1900, but now the sport is to make a comeback after 128 years at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic. The Olympics committee recommended the addition of cricket along with the other four sports, which are baseball-softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash.

Last October, the International Olympics Committee officially confirmed cricket addition in the 141st IOC session held in Mumbai. This decision established milestones for the sport and its fanatics globally.

“It can only be a positive thing for our game. I've sat on various committees over the last 15 or 20 years, and it's always been on the top of almost every agenda, how do we get the game back into the Olympics? And finally, it's there. It's only four years away. Once again, in the US by that stage, hopefully, with Major League Cricket, another four years down the track, hopefully growing. Who knows, there might even be more teams in the MLC by then. I think it also gives cricket a chance to break into the grassroots level in the US. But the thing about the Olympic Games. I mean, it's not the host nation. It's about the audience that it opens up. The Olympic Games being viewed by so many people all around the world just opens up completely different audiences to our game that's seemingly growing on a daily basis anyway. It can only be a real positive thing for the game," said Ponting in media reports.

In the recently finished Major Cricket League, Ponting coached the Washington Freedom, and led them to victory. He gained more insight on how cricket is seen in the US. He acknowledges that facilities and infrastructure play a role as well as the number of teams that will compete, and also that qualification to get into the Olympics is going to be very competitive.

Ponting played the Commonwealth Games, and he was thrilled to be around the athletes in the village, and the cricket environment was quite surreal. He aims to be a mentor or coach for the Australian team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.