Cricket has so far featured in the Games only once, when it was part of the 1998 event held here in the Malaysian capital and matches were held over 50 overs with a strong Australian side led by Steve Waugh being beaten in the final by South Africa, whose hero was Shaun Pollock with four wickets.

There were plans to include a Twenty20 tournament in New Delhi last year but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opposed the idea, although it did make its debut at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) have now backed plans for it to be included in their event, possibly starting in 2018 when the event will be held in either the Gold Coast or Hambantota. 

"It is fundamental that our sports programme continues to evolve in such a way as to sustain the Commonwealth Games as one of the world's leading multi-sport events," said Prince Tunku Imran, the vice-president of the CGF and chairman of the organisation's Sports Review Committee. 

"Given cricket's strong association with the Commonwealth, the CGF will have further dialogue with the ICC (International Cricket Council) as to the possibility of Twenty20 cricket being included as an option for future editions of the Games."

The Sports Review Committee have also recommended that beach volleyball be upgraded to a category two sport for future Games, meaning the host city in 2018 and those beyond will have the opportunity to include it on their programmes.

Rugby league also made a push for inclusion, and while the sport will not join beach volleyball as a category two sport at this stage, it has won support from the CGF's Executive Board for inclusion as a category three sport, the first step toward its presence at future Games.

"Category three sports are those that we recognise as working towards future inclusion," said Tunku.

"We are very pleased to see the high level of commitment by the Rugby League International Federation to further develop the sport across the Commonwealth.

"It is a key criteria that any sport on our programme is played widely across as many of our member nations as possible."

The final decision on the future of the sports programme will be made by the 71 members of the CGF when they meet at their Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis in November.

The list of category one sports remains unaltered – aquatics-swimming, athletics, badminton, men's boxing, hockey, lawn bowls, women's netball, men's rugby sevens, squash and weightlifting – but there are a number of changes proposed within events to be contested in those sports.

But the Executive Board will recommend that synchronised swimming and synchronised diving be re-classified as category three events, which means they will be recognised but not eligible for inclusion within the sports programme.

Last year's diving competition in New Delhi produced one of the highlights of the Games for England when teenager Tom Daley won two gold medals, including in the synchronised event with Max Brick (pictured).


The recommendations also propose that race-walks to be moved to category two event status - optional but no longer compulsory.

It is proposed that the total number of entries allowed in the singles events in racquet sports, including badminton, squash and table tennis, be standardised at three men and three women per event per country.

The Sports Review Committee has recommended, subject to the concurrence of the relevant International Federations, that the maximum number of entries per Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) per event for judo and wrestling be set at two per weight category, so long as the total number of athletes entered from a CGA does not exceed the number of events available.

This would bring these sports in line with weightlifting.

There is also a move to have two bronze medals awarded in judo.

Women's boxing will be further reviewed with the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) so the matter can be considered as part of the current review leading up to the Assembly in St Kitts.

Women's rugby sevens is also under consideration with the Committee recommending that it becomes eligible for inclusion in future editions of the Games.

The Review Committee has recommended that the CGF and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in collaboration with the host Organising Committee, identify and select the specific disability events no later than three years prior to each Commonwealth Games.

The Committee noted that consistent with the cooperation agreement between the CGF and the IPC, the IPC is currently undertaking a review of the Paralympis port programme, looking to put forward formal proposals ahead of the General Assembly in St Kitts.

The CGF Sports Review Committee received submissions that Para-badminton and powerlifting be considered, and these will be forwarded to the IPC for their initial review and assessment.

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