Cricket fans hoping to see Pakistan face India at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics may have to wait, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) finalizes the regional qualification process for the sport’s return to the Games.
According to Geo Super, the ICC board discussed the pathway for the six participating teams during its meeting in Dubai on Friday.
The current plan suggests that the top-ranked team from each continent will earn direct qualification, while the sixth spot will be decided through a global qualifier.
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Under this system, India is expected to claim Asia’s automatic spot.
Other teams likely to qualify directly include Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africa), and England (Europe).
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The fifth spot, representing the Americas, may go to the host nation, the USA, though West Indies remains in contention.
“There have been discussions around the participation of teams, and it has been decided that the six teams will come through the top-ranked team from each region/continent, while the sixth comes from the global qualifier. The details will be shared by the ICC in due course, but the roadmap has more or less been frozen,” said a senior administrator present at the Dubai meeting.
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Meanwhile, a sixth team will be determined through an Olympic Qualifier, while the qualifier format and the cut-off date for direct qualification are yet to be announced.
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments at LA 2028 will be played in the T20 format.
The ICC has confirmed that matches will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028, with the women’s medal match scheduled for July 20 and the men’s final on July 29.
Cricket will make its Olympic return after 128 years, having last appeared at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France in a single match to claim gold.
