The ICC is exploring the possibility of making cricket an Olympic sport and is due to meet with IOC representatives next month.

Speaking at a news conference at ICC’s headquarters in Dubai, chief executive David Richardson revealed the agenda for the gathering will be “exploratory in nature” and to gauge interest in including cricket in future Games.

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Richardson suggested that the opportunity to make women’s cricket an Olympic sport will also be discussed, as well as the possibility of having cricket in the Paralympics.

It follows a push from England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves for cricket, which last featured at the 1900 Olympics, to become an Olympic sport “throughout a number of countries”.

“The plan is to meet them at this stage in mid-November, we are still trying to finalise a date but the invitation has come to meet,” Richardson told the assembled media in the UAE.

“Multisport federations like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics have expressed an interest in cricket being part of those Games.

“The Olympics is not as nearly advanced in their discussions with us in that regard (as the Commonwealth Games’ proposal to have cricket in the 2022 event in Durban) but it’s a case we just want to explore opportunities.”

However, Richardson also said there were some reservations about the growth of the sport into the Games, notably scheduling in an all ready packed year-round international calendar and the fact competing on that world stage would not neccesarily represent the pinnacle for a cricketer given the other prizes, such as ICC events, on offer.

“Bare in mind it’s not just what cricket wants, cricket might want to be part of the Olympics but the Olympics might not want cricket,” Richardson added.

“They might want cricket subject to various conditions that we are not able to perform – we just need to find out from them exactly what they are thinking, how they are thinking and take it from there.”