Cricket to make Asian Games debut

The sound of leather against willow will be heard for the first time at an Asian Games next year after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that cricket had been added to the programme.

Updated on: May 14, 2009, 01:46:24 IST

Reuters | By HT Correspondent, Chennai

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The sound of leather against willow will be heard for the first time at an Asian Games next year after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that cricket had been added to the programme on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the OCA general assembly gathered in Kuwait and approved a proposal to include cricket as a discipline at the 16th edition of the multi-sports event in Guangzhou, China.

The T20 format has been selected for the Nov. 12-27 Games, with gold medals available for both men and women.

"India and Pakistan were the drivers," OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said in a statement.

“Asia's four Test-playing nations have committed to sending their best teams," the statement added. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from the region, have automatically qualified for the competition along with hosts China. Other member countries will vie for the remaining three slots.

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