The International Cricket Council is still hopeful of the sport’s inclusion in Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and has “recommended” six-team T20 events for both men and women to the Games’ organising committee. A final decision on the inclusion of cricket will be taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) around October after the organisers finalise the list of new sports by March, stated a report in ESPNCricinfo.

These will then be ratified at the IOC’s session in Mumbai, which is expected to take place around October this year, it added.

In a strategic move, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has been added to the ICC’s Olympics working group headed by ICC chairman Greg Barclay, and which also includes Indra Nooyi (independent director) and Paraag Marathe (former USA Cricket president).

Shah was included “keeping in mind India’s ambition” to host the Olympics in 2036.

“And the ICC believes Shah’s involvement could lend an important and potentially influential push in its negotiations with the IOC for cricket to be included at sport’s biggest global event,” the report said.

The proposal for a six-team event was made to ensure a more cost efficient Olympics which is part of their Olympic Agenda, it added.

Cricket along with eight other sports — baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, break dancing, karate, kickboxing, squash and motorsport — are competing to make the LA 28 roster.

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