Beach cricket for the Olympics?

Pink balls and day-night Tests may have caused a big enough stir this summer.

But James Sutherland is clearly still thinking outside the box, backing beach cricket as the sport's best bet to enter the Olympics by 2024.

The Cricket Australia (CA) CEO also believed the indoor format could be a winner with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Sutherland made both suggestions with a straight face on Friday after it emerged the International Cricket Council (ICC) would this month meet with the IOC in Switzerland to discuss the sport's 2024 bid.

Twenty20 appeared the format front-runner until Sutherland threw some more curve balls to cricket purists.

"Cricket on a traditional field is going to be a challenge in some parts of the world," Sutherland told ABC Grandstand radio.

"There are other ways it could be played. Beach cricket's not a silly idea, nor is indoor cricket.

"All of those things in some ways are more practical and achievable rather than big cricket fields."

Cricket last featured at the Olympics at Paris in 1900.

But the sport still appears low on the Olympic pecking order.

More popular sports world-wide such as baseball and softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing and surfing all appear to have the jump on cricket after being recommended for entry to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

An IOC vote in Rio next year will decide which new sports enter the 2020 Games.

But it appears the re-entry of golf and rugby union (sevens) for the Rio Olympics has given cricket renewed hope.

"As we understand it, dealing with the nuances of the IOC can be challenging," Sutherland said.

"There's a whole lot of complexities.

"(But) we've always been supportive of the idea.

"We're optimistic and will be pushing very hard for it to happen."

Beach cricket may be the hardest sell after its profile was only raised in recent years in Australia due to a beer promotion.

Sutherland could do worse than barrack for indoor cricket for 2024.

No other country but 17-time champions Australia have won the Indoor Cricket World Cup.

In the meantime Sutherland believed the public would vote with their feet on the game's other left-field idea - day-night Tests with pink balls.

Sutherland expected "Ashes-like" crowds at the historic third Test clash with New Zealand in Adelaide later this month.

Recent trials in Sheffield Shield and Kiwi tour matches had raised eyebrows about the pink ball prototype's suitability.

But Sutherland was adamant the ball would be ready for the trans-Tasman clash.

"It'll certainly be adequate," he said.

"It's the right colour ball and had enough research and development to be ready for Test cricket."