Cricket a likely loser in Glasgow Commonwealth Games revamp

Cricket’s future in a more “sustainable” Commonwealth Games is murky as other sports also face the chop in a streamlined format.

Australian gold medallists Alana King (left) and Darcie Brown (right) may miss out on another shot at Commonwealth Games glory, with cricket set to be scrapped from the event. Picture: Alex Davidson / Getty Images

Cricket faces the axe from a “more sustainable” Glasgow Commonwealth Games as Australia’s governing body for the event vowed to protect other sports that missed out.

As few as 10 sports will be on the program for the 2026 Games after it was confirmed Scotland had UK government support to pick up the struggling event.

Originally set to reprise its spot in the slated regional Victorian games, cricket, which was brought back into the Games in Birmingham in 2022, will be one of the sports to miss out as the Games are condensed into only four venues in Glasgow.

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips said he was “delighted” by the move after the Victorian government’s controversial withdrawal from hosting and said the stripping down of the event would help more Commonwealth nations host the Games in the future.

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Ben Houston has applauded the announcement that support has been secured for Glasgow to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“This is a fantastic outcome for the Commonwealth Sport Movement,” Houston said.

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— Commonwealth Games Australia (@CommGamesAUS) September 17, 2024

Phillips said CGA, which has 22 member sports, would ensure the sports that missed out would be kept “part of our family” but could not guarantee future funding.

Athletics and swimming were the only guaranteed “core” sports locked in for Glasgow, with an announcement expected in October.

But track cycling, squash and netball were among the sports confident the mix of venues, which includes Scotstoun Stadium (used in 2014), would accommodate their sports.

Squash Australia chief executive Rob Donaghue said it was a “wait and see” for the racquet sport, which has been confirmed to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.

“They’ve talked about Scotstoun as a venue for athletics, and that was the venue for squash in 2014 – world doubles was held there in 2022, so there’s a facility there as a legacy from the previous games,” Donaghue told this masthead.

“I think we’re a really good chance … but it’s wait and see, we have our fingers crossed.”

Australian squash player Rhys Dowling (left) competes at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Squash’s place in Glasgow is yet to be confirmed. Picture: Eddie Keogh / Getty Images

Cricket will be reintroduced to the Olympics in LA in 2028, but it is understood there is little chance the women’s T20 tournament held in Birmingham two years ago, which resulted in a gold medal for Australia, would be repeated.

Cricket Australia declined to comment on the Glasgow announcement but it looms as a likely exclusion in 2026.

“I think the program is very flexible in terms of what it looks like. Swimming and athletics are the only two that are confirmed for the games, so there are always going to be sports coming in and out of the program,” Phillips told reporters on Wednesday.

“What we need to do is make sure what we do in an Australian context is look after the ones that do drift in and out of the program.

“Many of them are also Olympic and Paralympic sports – while they may miss out on the Commonwealth Games competition, they’ll still have their pathway through to Brisbane 2032 in particular.”

Australia beat India to win gold in cricket’s Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, but the sport is set to be scrapped from the program in Glasgow. Picture: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

While it would hurt some sports, Phillips said the reduced scale of the event was set to prolong its lifespan and allow more countries to host.

“This gives us an opportunity to reset the future for the Games,” he said.

“I think what we’ll see is with this revised version of the Games – a pared-back version, a more sustainable version, it will actually create more opportunities for more countries in the Commonwealth to host the games.”

Phillips suggested boxing’s place in Glasgow could be in jeopardy due to the ongoing power struggle between governing bodies – International Boxing Association, which is no longer recognised by the IOC, and the newly formed World Boxing.

“It is a difficult sport to leave out of the program, but at the end of the day, the CGF has to be certain that they have an international federation they can rely on to run the games,” Phillips said.