The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the status to cricket, which figured in the 1900 Paris Olympics, at its executive meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland this week.

“This is great news for cricket,” ICC president Ray Mali said in a statement. The decision is expected to raise cricket’s profile in regions where it is still a developing sport.

“Our goal has been to become an international federation that is recognised by the IOC and we are pleased to have achieved this target,” Mali said.

“We want to play an active role in the Olympic movement and we will be looking at ways in which we can work with the IOC for the benefit of cricket, sport and society in general.”

The IOC recognition is the first step on the long road to inclusion in the Olympic programme, although it would have to wait at least until the 2020 Games.

The IOC executive board will also receive a presentation by Paul Condon, chief of the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit, on issues relating to betting in the sport.