Johannesburg - Setting aside the archaic and deeply troubling nature and history of the Commonwealth Games, the opportunity for cricket to grow - and particularly the women’s game - is hopefully something the sport’s authorities can embrace.
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chief executive, Geoff Allardice, actually said as much this week on the sidelines of the organisation's AGM, which is being held in Birmingham, the host city for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
"I am sure that cricket will be a star attraction at the Commonwealth Games which can only be in a good position as we look for ambitions moving forward in all other types of multi-sport Games," Allardice remarked.
Of course the major multi-format Games are the Olympics, which cricket has long claimed it wants to be a part of, but then its own internal mechanisms have prevented that from occurring.
Once again the ICC expressed its desire to be part of the quadrennial global event, with a proposal going to the International Olympic Committee, with a goal of having a cricket competition at the 2028 summer Olympiad in Los Angeles.
"We have declared our ambition to be involved in the Olympic Games, we are assisting the LA 2028 organisers and providing any information that will help their assessment of different sports with regards to addition to the Olympic programme," Allardice said.
There does seem to be more of a desire from the ICC this time as opposed to 1998 when it had also hoped to use the Commonwealth Games as the foundation for Olympic participation. That was the last time cricket was played at the Commonwealth Games, hosted that year in Kuala Lumpur. The competition was a 50-over men’s tournament, with South Africa, which was captained by Shaun Pollock, beating Australia to claim the gold medal.
The sport returns this year, in the shape of a women’s T20 competition. Australia and India, which played in the last T20 World Cup final in Melbourne two years ago, will open the competition at Edgbaston on Friday.
It’s a significant move in having the women’s game represent the sport, and is an illustration of the growth that has taken place in the last decade. Australian captain, Meg Lanning and her English counterpart, Heather Knight, are understandably enthused about the prospect of playing at the Olympics.
“Cricket in the Olympics would be amazing. Especially for the game as well, to reach a new audience," Lanning told BBC Sport.."It would allow different people to see the game and would really help the growth of it in other countries around the world, and particularly for women.”
The tournament will feature eight teams, split into two groups, with Australia and India in Group A along with Pakistan and Barbados.
South Africa is in Group B alongside, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, whom the Proteas will face in their first match on Saturday afternoon. The top two sides from each group go into semi-finals, with the winners of those matches contesting for the gold medal, while the other two teams, will play a bronze medal decider.
The Proteas, who started their tour in Ireland six weeks ago, have had a difficult time of it recently, losing all six limited overs matches, including three T20 Internationals to England. They go into the games without Marizanne Kapp, arguably their best player this year, Dane van Niekerk, who is still in rehab for a broken ankle, and the recently retired Lizelle Lee.
The absence of all that firepower, significantly blunts their medal aspirations, but skipper Sune Luus will hope that having acclimated to conditions and having a lot of match time under their belts will help her players. Looking at the bigger picture, the competition also gives some younger players much needed ‘tournament experience,’ ahead of South Africa hosting the T20 World Cup next summer.
Proteas squad for Commonwealth Games: Suné Luus (capt), Chloé Tryon, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits , Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Delmi Tucker, Laura Wolvaardt
Proteas Schedule (all matches at Edgbaston, all times SA)
Sat, 30/07 vs New Zealand, 1pm
Tues, 02/08 vs England, 1pm
Thurs, 04/08 vs Sri Lanka, 1pm
Semifinals, 06/08 - 1pm and 7pm
Bronze medal, 07/08, Noon
Gold medal, 07/08, 7pm
IOL Sport