New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games after a 128-year absence moved a step closer on Monday after the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the qualification pathway for the men’s and women’s T20 competitions at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28), with ICC Chairman Jay Shah hailing the development as a “landmark moment” for the sport.

The qualification system, approved by the IOC, confirms that six teams will compete in each of the men’s and women’s T20 events at LA28. While five qualification spots in each competition will be decided through existing ICC events and T20I rankings, the sixth and final berth will be determined through the newly introduced ICC Olympics Qualifier in 2027, the first event of its kind.

“Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games is a landmark moment for our sport and a powerful opportunity to showcase the very best of cricket to the world. The confirmation of this qualification pathway is an important step towards Los Angeles 2028 and gives Members across the world a clear and exciting route to the Olympic stage,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.

He believes the return to the Olympic movement presents an unprecedented opportunity to expand cricket’s global footprint. “The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of multi-event sport, and cricket’s inclusion at LA28 will inspire players and fans in every region. This is an historic moment, and one of great opportunity for our Members, as we continue to grow the game and take it to new audiences around the world,” Shah added.

Cricket will return to the Olympic programme for the first time since the 1900 Paris Games, when it made its only previous appearance. The LA28 edition will feature separate men’s and women’s T20 competitions, with six teams in each event and squads comprising up to 15 players. The qualification system guarantees representation from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania in both competitions.

For the men’s event, the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026, will qualify directly alongside hosts USA, subject to meeting the stipulated ranking criteria. The final berth will be decided through the ICC Olympics Qualifier.

The women’s qualification pathway differs slightly, with the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 serving as the primary qualifying tournament. Australia, Great Britain (through England), India, and South Africa have already secured Olympic qualification after finishing as the highest-placed eligible teams from Oceania, Europe, Asia, and Africa, respectively.

The USA are automatically eligible to host both competitions, provided they feature in the top 15 of the relevant ICC T20I rankings at any point during the qualification period.

The qualification pathway also addresses the unique case of the West Indies. Since the Caribbean side is a composite ICC member and not an IOC-recognised National Olympic Committee (NOC), it cannot participate in the Olympics as a single team. If either the men’s or women’s West Indies team finishes among the eight highest-ranked non-qualified sides by the qualification cut-off, a dedicated Caribbean Qualifier will determine which eligible nation progresses to the ICC Olympics Qualifier.

The inaugural ICC Olympics Qualifier, scheduled for 2027, will feature eight teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Apart from the Caribbean representative, the remaining participating teams will be determined by the ICC T20I rankings, after excluding nations that have already secured Olympic qualification, where applicable.

ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta described cricket’s return to the Olympics as an opportunity to reach new audiences while balancing competitiveness and geographical representation.

“Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games gives the sport a unique showcase on global sport’s grandest stage, supporting its introduction to new audiences and development in emerging markets, while providing the Olympic movement a gateway into the hearts and minds of more than two billion Cricket fans.

“This qualification structure has been designed to optimise competitive standards and global representation within the IOC and LA28 participation guidelines. We are leveraging the existing ICC elite competition structure and introducing a new qualification event, which adds an exciting new milestone on the journey to LA28. We are grateful to the IOC, LA28, and all our Members, as well as their NOCs, for their continued support for Cricket’s return in the Olympics,” Gupta said.

The LA28 tournaments will feature two groups of three teams. Each side will play the other teams in its group before facing two teams from the opposite group that finished in different positions. The top two teams will contest the gold medal match, while the third- and fourth-placed sides will compete for bronze.

A combined total of 28 matches across the men’s and women’s competitions will be staged at the purpose-built cricket venue in Pomona, marking cricket’s long-awaited return to the Olympic stage after more than a century.

–IANS

vi/bsk/