It comes after 4 years and it's less than a 3-week event at best so technically there shouldn't be any complaint about a busy schedule.
Having said that there is no doubt that ICC's fantasy of organizing ICC events every year + Money making T-20 leagues all around the world (mainly IPL) + Bilaterals + 3 formats do create a jam-packed schedule but at the same time only PIG-3 play ridiculously amount of cricket every year.
Just for starters, I wonder if it's possible that all stakeholders can allow u-19 or u-21 teams to participate in the Olympics instead of senior teams. This will solve the schedule issue and more teams can participate.
Yes.. I agree.
It is laughable that people don't have a problem with a 3-month IPL every year, but then Olympics, which last for 3 weeks, and occur every 4 years is being blamed for increased workload. In football, they have U-23 (+ 3 senior players) format. I don't care if cricket goes for U-19 format. If that helps to "reduce" the workload, then I am all in. But then, these complaints about workload is just an excuse. Players who refuse to play in Olympics will not have any problem if they are contracted by SA20 or BPL, if the salaries are right.
If you talk about football then there are many limitations of football in Olympics and fifa Worldcup. One is player age limit, "Since 1992, male competitors have been required to be under 23 years old, and since 1996, a maximum of three over-23-year-old players have been allowed per squad." Wikipedia.
I don't know whether IOC make any such restriction on cricket or not. ICC must not fear that Olympics inclusion of cricket will reduce ICC supremacy, fifa WC still dominate despite inclusion of football in Olympics.
This has been my proposal as well. Boards such as FIFA doesn't worry abut their supremacy because they are fairly run and it is mostly the former players who are in powerful positions. On the other hand, ICC is being run by a bunch of criminals, including Greg Barclay and Geoff Allardice and they are always afraid of their powers getting reduced.