Sprint legend Bolt may play cricket after Rio Games

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Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt, who has already conquered the racing track with six Olympic gold medals, may switch to cricket or football after the 2016 Games in Rio de Janerio.

The 26-year-old from Jamaica had held talks with Australian spin legend Shane Warne's Melbourne Stars in October but his agent Ricky Simms told BBC Sport that he won't be available for this year's Big Bash Twenty20 League.

"Usain is currently an athlete focused on his preparations for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow," Simms said.

"He may try his hand at cricket or football when he retires from running but that would be after 2016."
Bolt, who grew up in cricket-mad Jamaica and is the defending champion in 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay events at the London 2012 Olympics, had earlier showed interest in participating in the Australian tournament.

Warne then tried his hand to bring Bolt in the team and had launched a Twitter campaign.

On Friday, former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy once again brought up the issue when he tweeted that a deal between Bolt and the Stars to play in the competition - which runs from 7 December to 9 January - was "hours away".

However, Simms dismissed the claim, saying: "I met with the Melbourne Stars in October and told them Usain is not available to play cricket this year."

In the past, Bolt has appeared in charity cricket matches and even managed to famously clean bowled then West Indies captain Chris Gayle in 2009.

Bolt, who considers football to be his first love, was also the special guest of Manchester United at the 2011 Champions League final in London.

Last October, the Jamaican also expressed his desire to play football professionally in the future.
"I always wanted to try to play soccer," he said in October. "Maybe at the end of my career. It would be something that I would love to try," he had said.