Cricket is one of the most popular games in the world, but it has never been played at the Olympic level. Until now. The historic announcement that cricket will make its debut in the Olympics was announced on 8 June, with a decision made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). So what does this mean for you?
Well, if like many sports fans you enjoy watching sports on TV or online then you have probably wondered how international sporting competitions will be presented to viewers. The 2020 Summer Olympics are due to take place in Tokyo and Japanese broadcaster Nippon Sports Network (NSS) – who own exclusive rights to broadcast all events – have confirmed that they’ll be broadcasting all action from both summer and winter editions of the Games.
Here’s everything you need to know about where you can watch international cricket and which countries are competing.
When is the Olympic cricket?
The Olympic cricket tournament will begin on 7 August and end on 8 August 2020. The men’s cricket tournament will take place in the same days as track and field, while the women’s tournament will run alongside the swimming events. The action will be broadcast on Nippon Sports Network (NNSN) in Japan and be available to global viewers on the OBS service.
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The women’s cricket tournament will take place in the same week as the men’s competition, meaning that the action will begin on 4 August and finish on 5 August 2020. The women’s tournament will be broadcast on NBS2 in Japan and be available to global viewers on the OBS service.
How do you watch Olympic cricket?
All the matches will be available to watch on the Olympic Broadcast Service (OBS). The service allows people living in the over three-quarters of the world to the Olympics who do not have a TV or a way to connect to the internet to watch the live coverage. To use OBS, you will need to have a computer, a smartphone or a streaming device. You can find out more about how to use OBS on the BBC Sport website. As well as watching the live coverage, you can also watch the action on demand. You can find out how to get access to the on demand content on the OBS website.
Which countries are competing in the Olympics?
There are eight teams taking part in the cricket tournament. They are: England, India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
Who’s playing and who’s captaining in cricket?
The England cricket team will be making a return to the Olympics, which will include all-time greats Ian Botham, Bob Willis and Andrew Caddick captaining the side. The India team will be captained by India’s current captain Virat Kohli, as well as Rohit Sharma, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, and India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya. New Zealand will be captained by Kane Williamson and will also be captained by a men’s cricketer who has announced their retirement from international cricket recently, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert.
Which games will be available to view and which won’t?
All cricket matches will be available to watch on the OBS service, but some other events may not be. Track and field will not be available to view on OBS, as it is not a competition. However, it will still be broadcast on NNNN in Japan. Some other sports that won’t be available to view include swimming, table tennis, badminton, basketball, rowing, sailing and handball. The swimming and rowing events will still be shown and will be available to watch on demand. You can find out more about which sports will be available to watch in the Olympics on the BBC Sport website.
Is video-on-demand going to be a feature of the broadcast?
Yes. You will be able to watch the action on demand after each match, with all footage available on the BBC Sport website. You will also be able to watch the on demand matches on BBC iPlayer.
What is the Olympic Broadcast Service (OBS) and what’s it all about?
The BBC has teamed up with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to broadcast all the Olympics from Tokyo. This will be the first time that OBS has been used at an Olympic Games. It’s a free service that allows people to watch the Olympic Games on their TVs, smartphones and other devices. They will also be able to watch the live coverage online or through BBC Sport’s iPlayer service. The service will only be available in the UK, USA, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, Argentina and Mexico, but more countries will be added in the future.
The future of OBS – what can you expect next?
The BBC will update the OBS website regularly during the Games, with news and features about the sports taking place, as well as interviews and analysis. During the Games, you will also be able to send messages to the Olympic commentary team, which will be available on the website. There will also be live social coverage on Twitter and Facebook, which fans are able to use to discuss the action. For the duration of the Olympic Games, the BBC will also be showing ‘Olympic Tennis’, presented by John McEnroe, from Wimbledon. McEnroe will be joined on air by former British tennis player Steven James.
