'They are serious about winning gold in Olympics': Steve Waugh backs China to become a force in cricket

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 27, 2025, 17:44 IST

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Steve Waugh predicts China's rise in cricket. He believes the Olympics will boost cricket's global reach. Waugh also highlights the growing influence of T20 format. He says T20 leagues will dominate player contracts. Test cricket might need special permissions. Waugh sees a new global era for cricket. He anticipates nations like China competing for major honours soon.

Steve Waugh

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh believes China could soon become a major player in world cricket, especially with the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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Speaking at an event at The Taj, St. James Court, Waugh was quoted as saying by ANI, "As soon as cricket's inclusion in the Olympics was announced, China started building a team. They are serious about winning gold."
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Waugh, a World Cup-winning former Australian captain, emphasised how the Olympics could transform cricket’s global reach. He pointed to the growing investments from new regions like Saudi Arabia and the USA, and called the sport’s expansion “exciting.”
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"The game is reaching new parts of the world, and the Olympics will take it even further," Waugh noted.
He also spoke about the booming popularity of the T20 format, predicting it will reshape cricket’s future.

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"T20 is massive now. It's billions of dollars, and it's growing every day," he said. Waugh added that while Test cricket would survive, T20 leagues would dominate player contracts. "Players will soon be mainly contracted to franchises. Test matches might even need special permissions," he observed.

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With T20’s rapid rise and cricket’s Olympic debut ahead, Waugh believes the sport is entering a new global era — one that could see nations like China competing for major honours sooner than expected.

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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