For the second Games running since the sport was introduced to the programme in Guangzhou 2010, India decided not to participate in either the men's or women's competition, claiming there was no time in a congested fixture schedule.

But fellow continental Test playing countries Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who won men's gold, competed in both events here, while Pakistan competed and won gold in the women's competition.

"When we put a sport in a programme, we always wish to have the top athletes here," said Sheikh Ahmad, ahead of the Closing Ceremony of Incheon 2014 here this afternoon.

"I'm sorry that India, for the second Games, did not send a team.

"I respect their decision but I believe the people in charge are not interested in promotion of the game but only in making it a business, in making money out of it.

"They want to control the market and control the game."

In India's absence, Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in the men's final here in Incheon
©AFP/Getty Images



Cricket, a sport which is little known in many parts of the world, is hugely popular in many parts of the Commonwealth, including Australia, the Caribbean and the Indian sub-continent.

The financially lucrative Indian Premier League, launched in 2008, has since become a model for major professional competitions. 

The sport's one Olympic appearance came at Paris 1900,  where Great Britain, represented by the Devon and Somerset Wanderers, beat France in a one-off match

It also featured at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, where England chose not to participate, and India and Pakistan each sent weakened teams. 

Cricket is a member of the Association of International Olympic Committee Recognised International Sports Federations and SportAccord, the umbrella organisation for all International Federations.

But Bangladesh's newly appointed International Cricket Council (ICC) President Mustafa Kamal has also claimed cricket's value will be "diluted" if it goes to the Olympics.

England also oppose the participation of cricket at multi-sport events. They were not present when the sport featured at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, where South Africa won gold ©Getty Images



Sheikh Ahmad, Kuwait's influential sporting powerbroker who is also President of the Association of National Olympic Committees, admitted "cricket is a very famous sport, with a very strong financial situation and a lot of people trying to promote it, especially from the Commonwealth countries".

But he argues that, if the current approach remains, there will be no opportunity for the sport to grow in an international sense, adding that he was be happy to speak to the ICC about his opinions.

"For that, they are killing cricket, limiting the NOCs (National Olympic Committees) participating in cricket and they are killing the market," he said.

"This is the reality."

He will point to the success of the competition at the Asian Games where, athough the crowds were sparse for the most part, participation provided an opportunity to showcase the game in new areas such as here in South Korea, while China, Malaysia and Kuwait were among others to participate.