Steve Waugh Wants Cricket

Former Australia Test captain Steve Waugh has thrown his weight behind Twenty20 cricket becoming an Olympic sport, saying it would help globalize the game.

"The idea of Twenty20 cricket at the Olympics is certainly worthwhile," said South China Morning Post.

"If you want to globalise the game then you have to do including countries like China and the United States, cricket and get into the Olympic Games will fast-track that move."

In December last year, cricket was given the status of "recognized sport" by the International Olympic Committee for two years.

The honor usually given to sports that are not part of the Olympic program, but are in line with its ideals of youth and promoting anti-doping policies.

Cricket was last seen in a large multi-sports event in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, but was eliminated in the next two editions in England and Australia.

Waugh played in Kuala Lumpur, where Australia won the gold.

"I had the time of my life in these Games." Winning the gold medal was one of the highlights of my career, "said the 43-year-old played 168 tests for Australia, including 57 as captain.

He added that he believed Twenty20 cricket was on the verge of becoming a huge worldwide success.

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"Twenty20 is going through a honeymoon phase at the moment," he said. "But in the years ahead, I think it will become a global phenomenon."

His comments follow those of his former Australia team-mate Adam Gilchrist, who in a column for Monday's edition of India newspaper Deccan Chronicle wrote: "Take it from someone who has won almost everything cricket has to offer - Games Olympic is the absolute Pinnacle in sport.

"The opportunity to be at the top of the Olympic podium, to lead an Olympic gold medal and proudly belting his national anthem would be a life-changing money can not buy experience."

Waugh, one of three mentors for the Olympic team in Australia along with former Wallabies captain John Eales gold medal winning rower Kate Allen, was in Hong Kong to see the equestrian team from Australia.

"I have 11 sports that I have been assigned and equestrianism is one of them," said the newspaper.

"I met with the team. I was asking the most questions. It's not about me telling them how to ride horses, but in reality we are talking about how to handle pressure situations.