Asian Games 2022: BCCI unlikely to send men's team to Hangzhou

Cricket will be played at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The men's and women's teams will feature in it. However, BCCI is unlikely to send its teams.

It would be a landmark moment during the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou. Cricket will return to the competition in both men's and women's forms. However, it might not feature teams from India, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is contemplating not disturbing its existing scheduling commitments.

The Games are to be played between September 10-25. Meanwhile, as per Reuters, India will be preparing ahead of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. BCCI does not want that to get hampered by participating in the Games. Although the women's team will participate in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, participation in Hangzhou looks doubtful due to its scheduled limited-overs tour of England.

Speaking on the same, BCCI secretary Jay Shah commented that it is highly lucrative for any cricketing board to host India. It would be of utmost importance to honour them in the post-COVID era. While BCCI was initially reluctant in cricket's inclusion in competitive games, including the Olympics, it has changed its stance of late. It is working with the International Cricket Council (ICC), pushing for its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"The board firmly believes in honouring its bilateral commitments. We are committed to our fans here in India, and we must safeguard our home season. The FTP [Future Tours Programme] that has been created needs to be adhered to. The BCCI and ICC are on the same page on this and agree that the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics is good for the game's growth," Shah concluded.