ICC say 'time is right' for T20 cricket at the Olympics

International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richardson believes the "time is right" for cricket to apply for a place at the Olympics.

Cricket has not featured at the Summer Games since Great Britain beat France to win gold in 1900, but the ICC is now convinced an Olympic T20 tournament is the key to growing the game beyond its traditional market - a view reinforced by the popularity of rugby sevens at Rio 2016.

The earliest it could return is at the 2024 games, with the International Olympic Committee - who have entered into preliminary talks with the ICC - considering applications for new sports in September.

"I think the majority of the members - and certainly myself - think the time is right," said Richardson. "We've come to the conclusion that the overall benefit to the game, in terms of globalising and growing it, outweighs any negatives.

"The IOC haven't said an existing sport would have to go to make room for cricket, but that they've got an overall limit on the number of athletes they have to take into account when making any decision on a new sport.

"As a team sport we would only fit six to eight teams. They've also told us we mustn't send beach cricket or six-a-side teams. It must be a format played at international level and it must be our top players.

"T20 is ideal, and we'd say even better than rugby sevens as it's actually one of the mainstream formats of cricket."

Cricket's chances of inclusion in 2024 could be hurt by the fact the Games will be staged in Los Angeles or Paris, neither of them cricket hotbeds, but Richardson sees that as an opportunity to grow the game.

"Neither would be a disaster for us," added Richardson. "In fact both would be opportunistic, especially the US option, and even Paris wouldn't be impossible.

"From an ICC perspective, scheduling is the biggest challenge. In the northern hemisphere, the Olympics are held in the English summer, so that's a problem if there's an Ashes series on.

"There will be issues and England in the past have said, 'Are we sure we want to go down this route?"'

Richardson does not believe, however, there will be opposition England or West Indies at not being able to compete at a Games under those banners.

He suggested England would be relaxed about playing as Great Britain and the constituent parts of the West Indies would have the same chance as any nation of coming through an "all encompassing" global qualifying process.