OLYMPICS:The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will reschedule events at next year's Beijing Games if polluted air in the Chinese capital is a threat to the athletes. "If you know you have a risk and then apply your contingency and your (air quality) numbers are not better, you may have to decide to work on the rescheduling of the competition if necessary," Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli said.

Felli, who said any rescheduling would be decided just prior to or during the Games, was speaking after a progress report delivered by video by the organising committee.

Despite assurances contingency plans are being drawn up based on the results of trials last August, when 1.3 million cars were banned from the city's roads for four days, doubts persist that Beijing organisers are aware of what they need to do to solve the problem. Other plans include shutting down building sites and polluting factories.

Felli said the latest figures on Beijing's air quality had been sent to the IOC, which had yet to analyse them. "We have just received now the numbers. We have not analysed them," he said.

"The Chinese reassessed this morning that they still have to finalise some of the work promised during the bid and contingency plans at the time of the Games if it (air quality) is not as we wish."

About 1,000 new cars hit Beijing's streets every day. Local Olympic organisers have pegged the city's efforts to improve air quality to its "blue-sky day" quota, referring to a targeted number of days with acceptable levels of pollution, a process dismissed by experts as unscientific.

Meanwhile, cricket has moved a step closer to returning to the Olympic Games after the IOC provisionally recognised the sport.

It has been brought back into the Olympic movement for the first time since the Paris Games of 1900.

However, the earliest cricket could feature would be in 2020.

"Maybe one day it will be right for cricket to return to the Olympic programme," said International Cricket Council president Ray Mali.

"This is great news for cricket, the Olympic movement is instantly recognisable around the world and for cricket to be a part of that again has to be a good thing. Our goal has been to become an international federation that is recognised by the IOC and we are pleased to have achieved this target.

"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 provisional status is for an initial two-year period, after which sports bodies can seek full recognition and apply for inclusion in the Olympics.

If given full status in two years time, cricket would then be able to be considered for a place at the Games when the IOC review the programme for 2020 after the 2012 Olympics in London.