Australia captain Ricky Ponting says the global appeal of Twenty20 cricket will see it become an Olympic sport.
Cricket Australia and Ponting's former team-mate Adam Gilchrist have already called for the quick-fire format to be adopted in time for the 2020 Games.
"I think it's inevitable Twenty20 will be an Olympic sport," Ponting said.
"The International Olympic Committee could do a lot worse than put cricket into the Olympics. Just think about the audiences in the sub-continent."
The International Cricket Council has previously expressed support for pushing cricket as an Olympic sport, though Ponting has warned that any increase in Twenty20 competition must work inside the existing international calendar.
606: DEBATE"The critical issue with the game of Twenty20 is how do we make it work?" Ponting said.
"We definitely need a carve-out period. I'm worried if there's not that period of time be it in the IPL or the EPL, or whatever competition it might be, that this next generation's opinions might change.
"They might see the dollars and think 'maybe it's more appealing to me that I go and play IPL instead of playing for my country.'
"That would be the saddest thing ever to happen to this great game.
"I want the next generation of Australian players to have that dream to put on the baggy green cap and play 100 Test matches and 300 one-day games."
Cricket was last part of the Olympics in Paris in 1900 when Great Britain beat France to take the gold medal.
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