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Cricket to be included in 2032 Olympics? ICC Chairman Jay Shah's Brisbane visit fuels speculation

Jay Shah took over the charge of the ICC chair on December 1 and paid a visit to Brisbane where he met the CEO of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee (OCOG) Cindy Hook. Shah will also have a chance to watch the third Test match between India and Australia at Gabba.

Jay Shah meets CEO of Brisbane 2032 OCOG Cindy Hook. Image Source : SCREENGRAB/JAY SHAHJay Shah meets CEO of Brisbane 2032 OCOG Cindy Hook.

The newly-appointed chairman of the International Cricket Council Jay Shah on Thursday met the CEO of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee (OCOG) Cindy Hook in Brisbane. Shah, who took over the charge as the ICC chairman on December 1, is on a visit to Brisbane and will have the chance to watch the third Test between India and Australia at Gabba, starting from December 14.

The former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Shah, has checked into Hotel Sofitel, where the Indian team is also staying. "Very exciting time ahead for Cricket’s involvement in the Olympics movement - a meeting with the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee in Brisbane, Australia today," Shah wrote in a caption to the video post he shared on X.

It was reported that Shah will attend a meeting related to the Olympic Games 2032 which Brisbane will be hosting. As reported by Cricbuzz, cricket is expected to be played at the Games. 

Cricket is already making a return to the Olympics in the 2028 Los Angeles Games after a gap of 128 years. The sport was part of the Summer Games for the only time in 1900 when teams representing Great Britain and France faced each other. The Great Britain side won the match by 158 runs.

Shah will be looking to expand the reach of the sport, as he had said in his recent statements. "This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide. Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and Member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights," the ICC chairman said in a statement.

Shah youngest person to become ICC chairman

Notably, Shah is now the youngest to become an ICC chairman. He was 36 at the time of assuming the ICC office. Shah is the fifth Indian to head the global body after Jagmohan Dalmiya (president from 1997-2000), Sharad Pawar (president from 2010-2012), N. Srinivasan (chairman from 2014-2015) and Shashank Manohar (chairman from 2015 to 2020).