'T10 cricket can be a perfect fit for Olympics' : Faf du Plessis

South Africa batter Faf du Plessis has spoken positively about the future of T10 cricket. Du Plessis feels that T10 is a format that can take cricket to the Olympics. Talks about introducing cricket to the Olympics have been on an all-time high with cricket’s governing body and Olympic Association keen to get the sport inducted in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, the major obstacle for cricket to be part of the Olympics is the time frame. Even the shortest match takes around 4 hours which doesn’t suit the Olympics. However, a T10 match generally finishes in 1.5 hours thus could be a perfect fit for the Olympics.

Du Plessis, who will be seen playing the T10 cricket in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for Bangla Tigers, said, “I think players like myself will keep looking at tournaments like this. The future of T10 is looking good.

“It’s a format that can be used in the Olympics. The quick nature of T10 also makes it attractive to the fans. I think T10 is only going to get better and better,” he added as per mirror.co.uk

Earlier, the cricket governing body’s chairman Greg Barclay had also spoken about cricket being a valuable addition to the Olympics. He said: “We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 per cent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics.

“Our sport is united behind this bid, and we see the Olympics as a part of cricket’s long-term future. We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics.

“Clearly cricket has a strong and passionate fanbase, particularly in South Asia where 92% of our fans come from, whilst there are also 30 million cricket fans in the USA. The opportunity for those fans to see their heroes competing for an Olympic medal is tantalising.”

“We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympic Games, but we know it won’t be easy to secure our inclusion as there are so many other great sports out there wanting to do the same.
“But we feel now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics are.”