Beach cricket for Olympics: Sutherland

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland says cricket may need to think outside its mainstream formats if the sport is to join golf and rugby in the Olympic Games.

Cricket hasn't been played at the Olympics for 115 years, and Sutherland said indoor cricket or beach cricket should be considered as the sport pushes to be included in the 2024 Games, with suitable venues for Test, ODI or T20 cricket scarce in non-traditional markets.

"Beach cricket is not a silly idea and nor is indoor cricket," Sutherland told ABC Grandstand.

"Cricket on a traditional field is going to be a challenge in some parts of the world. There are other ways it could be played.

"All of those things perhaps are in some ways more practical and achievable than big cricket fields like we're on right now."

Sutherland said a flexible approach from the International Cricket Council (ICC) could pave the way for cricket to be played at the Summer Olympics for the first time since 1900.

"As we understand it, dealing with the nuances of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) can be challenging," Sutherland said.

"We've always been supportive of the idea, we believe it's a good thing in the broader development of the game. We're optimistic and we certainly will be pushing very hard for that to happen."

A report in the UK Telegraph last month said the ICC was looking to push indoor cricket as the chosen format for Olympic inclusion, ahead of T20, previously thought to be the most likely option.

Cricket hasn't been played at the Olympics since 1900 in Paris, when Devon and Somerset Wanderers, representing Great Britain, and the French Athletic Club Union, representing France, played in the only match of the Games, which Great Britain by 158 runs.

Golf, for the first time in 112 years, and rugby, which was last on the Olympic schedule in 1924, will be played at next year's Games in Brazil. Rugby will be played under the sevens format in Rio de Janeiro.