Cricket returns to Olympics after over a century

LOS ANGELES: After 128 years, Cricket will be returning to the Olympic Games in 2028, and will feature six teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Paris 1900 was the last Olympic games to feature Cricket. Only one match was played; a two-day test between Great Britain and France. The upcoming Los Angeles games will instead feature crickets’ newest format, the T20.

Six teams will play in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with each squad being permitted 15 members for a total of 90 athletes in each tournament, as approved by the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Currently, it is unclear what the criteria for selection is. The most likely scenario is for the top six teams in the ICC rankings to qualify for the tournaments.

Also read: IOC boosts women’s soccer teams to 16 for LA 2028 Games

The current rankings for men’s T20s have India, the most recent winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, in first with a rating of 269. The next five teams in order are Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, and South Africa. Pakistan is currently ranked seventh.

The current rankings for women’s T20s have Australia, the winners of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, in first with a rating of 297. The next five teams in order are England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Indies. Pakistan is currently ranked eighth.

The venues and schedule for the tournaments have yet to be confirmed.

Also read: Lakers win as Luka Doncic nets 45 in return to Dallas