Shane Warne bats for inclusion of women's cricket in 2022 Commonwealth Games, says event an opportunity to win new fans

Bangalore: The MCC World Cricket Committee including legendary spinner Shane Warne on Friday stepped up pressure for women’s cricket to be included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Organisers of the 2022 event in the English city of Birmingham are to announce this year whether cricket will get a place for the first time since 1998. It is competing against Olympic sports including archery, shooting and volleyball. [caption id=“attachment_5324751” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Shane Warne. Reuters[/caption] “It’s a hugely exciting time for women’s cricket after two great World Cups in two years and it’s up to the cricket world and Commonwealth Games Federation to build on that momentum and bring cricket into multi-sport games,” said Warne after the first day of the committee’s meeting in Bangalore. Former New Zealand women’s captain Suzie Bates said having cricket at the 2022 event would be a “game changer” for the sport. “It’s an enormous opportunity for women’s cricket to win new fans, as well as being a chance for the Commonwealth Games to build on one of their core values —  equality — and create more opportunities for female athletes,” added Bates a member of the committee since 2017. The Marylebone Cricket Club is cricket’s formal law-making body and its world committee of former players meets twice a year to discuss key issues facing the game. Cricket was last included in the Commonwealth Games in 1998 when South Africa beat Australia in the men’s 50-over final in Kuala Lumpur.