Cricket is set to make a historic return to the Olympic Games at the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympics after a 128-year absence, having last appeared in 1900 at the Paris Olympics. Here’s a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about cricket’s comeback at LA28, based on the latest available information.
Cricket at LA28 Olympics
- Return to the Olympics: Cricket will feature at the LA28 Olympics, marking its second appearance in Olympic history. The sport was last included in 1900, when Great Britain defeated France in a single two-day match.
- Dates: Cricket matches are scheduled from July 12 to July 29, 2028, with medal matches on July 19 and July 29, just before the Games conclude on July 30. Matches will start before the official opening ceremony.
- Format: The sport will be played in the T20 (Twenty20) format for both men’s and women’s events, a fast-paced version where each team faces a maximum of 20 overs (120 balls). This format is chosen to appeal to new audiences and align with modern cricket’s global popularity.
- Teams: Both men’s and women’s tournaments will feature six teams each, with each team allowed a squad of 15 players, totalling 90 players per gender.
- Venue: Matches will be held at a temporary stadium at the Fairgrounds (Fairplex) in Pomona, Southern California, approximately 48 km (30 miles) east of downtown Los Angeles. This venue hosts the annual LA County Fair and other events, and a purpose-built cricket stadium will be constructed, similar to the temporary setup used in New York for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
History of cricket in Olympics
- Previous Olympic Appearance: Cricket’s only Olympic outing was in 1900 in Paris, where Great Britain (represented by the Devon & Somerset Wanderers) defeated France by 158 runs in a two-day match at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. Initially, the players were unaware it was an Olympic event, and medals were retroactively awarded (Great Britain received silver, France bronze).
- 128-Year Hiatus: Despite its global popularity, cricket was absent from the Olympics due to logistical challenges, lack of entries in early Games, and resistance from some cricket boards like the ECB and BCCI. Recent shifts in stance and the rise of T20 have paved the way for its return.
- Multi-Sport Event Precedence: Cricket has appeared in other multi-sport events, such as the Commonwealth Games (1998 men’s, 2022 women’s) and Asian Games (2010, 2014, 2023), all in T20 format, setting the stage for its Olympic inclusion.
Why did Olympics include cricket?
- Global Reach: With an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide, cricket is the second-most popular sport, particularly in countries like India, Pakistan, Australia, and England. Its inclusion aims to attract new audiences and financial support to the Olympics.
- T20 Appeal: The T20 format is fast-paced, action-packed, and typically lasts about three hours, making it ideal for the Olympic audience and appealing to younger viewers.
- Growth in the USA: The success of Major League Cricket’s first season in 2023 and the co-hosting of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup by the USA and West Indies have boosted cricket’s profile in the host nation. The Olympics provide a platform to further grow the sport domestically.
- IOC and ICC Collaboration: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has worked closely with the LA28 Organizing Committee since August 2021 to secure cricket’s inclusion, aligning with the IOC’s goal of diversifying the Olympic program.
LA28 Olympics Cricket Tournament Details
- Structure: The exact tournament structure (e.g., group stages, knockouts) is yet to be finalised, but it will involve six teams per gender competing for gold, silver, and bronze medals. The schedule will include two clusters of matches: July 12–18 and July 22–28, with detailed match order and gender sequencing to be announced later in 2025.
- Player Quotas: Each team can have up to 15 players, ensuring flexibility for substitutions and squad depth. A total of 180 players (90 men, 90 women) will participate across both tournaments.
- Medal Events: Cricket will contribute to the LA28 program’s record 351 medal events, with equal representation for men’s and women’s teams, aligning with the IOC’s push for gender parity.
Olympics Cricket Qualification Process
The ICC has not yet finalised the qualification process, which is expected to be decided at its Annual Conference in Singapore from July 17–20, 2025. Options under consideration include:
- T20I Rankings: Teams could be selected based on ICC T20 International rankings at a cutoff date.
- T20 World Cup 2026: The 2026 T20 World Cup could serve as a qualifying event.
- Direct Invitations: The ICC may invite teams to balance global representation and competitiveness.
- Host Nation Advantage: The United States, as the host, is expected to receive an automatic qualification spot for both men’s and women’s tournaments, leaving five spots per gender to be contested.
Challenges
- The West Indies, a composite team of 12 National Olympic Committees in cricket, face complications as their member nations (e.g., Barbados, Jamaica) compete separately in the Olympics. For example, Barbados participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- Similarly, England, Scotland, and Wales compete as Great Britain in the Olympics, unlike in cricket where they field separate teams.
- With only six spots, high-ranking teams like India, Australia, England, and Pakistan may dominate, but the ICC aims to balance global strength and regional representation, potentially including Associate nations like Scotland, Namibia, or Thailand.
Venue and Infrastructure
- Fairgrounds Stadium, Pomona: The temporary cricket stadium at Fairplex in Pomona will be purpose-built, leveraging the 500-acre site’s history of hosting large events like the LA County Fair since 1922. This follows the model of the temporary Nassau County stadium used in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
- Sustainability: LA28’s sustainability pledge emphasizes using existing or temporary venues to minimize costs. The Pomona venue was chosen over New York (used in 2024 T20 World Cup) to keep events closer to Los Angeles, despite earlier speculation about East Coast hosting for South Asian TV audiences.
- Criticism from 2024: The New York T20 World Cup pitch faced criticism for inconsistent quality, which may influence preparations for a high-standard Olympic venue.
