'They are serious about winning gold in Olympics': Steve Waugh backs China to become a force in cricket

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh believes China could soon become a major player in world cricket, especially with the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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Speaking at an event at The Taj, St. James Court, Waugh was quoted as saying by ANI, "As soon as cricket's inclusion in the Olympics was announced, China started building a team. They are serious about winning gold."

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Waugh, a World Cup-winning former Australian captain, emphasised how the Olympics could transform cricket’s global reach. He pointed to the growing investments from new regions like Saudi Arabia and the USA, and called the sport’s expansion “exciting.”

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"The game is reaching new parts of the world, and the Olympics will take it even further," Waugh noted.

He also spoke about the booming popularity of the T20 format, predicting it will reshape cricket’s future.

"T20 is massive now. It's billions of dollars, and it's growing every day," he said. Waugh added that while Test cricket would survive, T20 leagues would dominate player contracts. "Players will soon be mainly contracted to franchises. Test matches might even need special permissions," he observed.



With T20’s rapid rise and cricket’s Olympic debut ahead, Waugh believes the sport is entering a new global era — one that could see nations like China competing for major honours sooner than expected.