Cricket can now bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Cricket's push to be a part of the Olympic Games received a major boost with International Olympic Council on Friday granting recognition to ICC.

International Olympic Council on Friday in its meeting at Vancouver voted to recognise the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the federations of sport climbing and power boating.

After Friday's IOC decision, cricket -most likely its Twenty20 version, can now bid to join the 2020 Olympic Games though ICC has not made it clear which format it will push for.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has welcomed the decision and termed it as the first step towards cricket's inclusion in the Olympics.

Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics in Paris and has not appeared since then.