For the Olympic return July 12-29, the qualification is still a puzzle

Cathy Rush6 hours ago

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For the Olympic return July 12-29, the qualification is still a puzzle

For cricket in Olympics 2028, six teams (men and women) in each category will compete at Pomona’s Fairground Stadium

After 128 years, cricket’s Olympic comeback is now etched in the calendar. The LA28 organising committee on Monday (July 14) unveiled the schedule for the 2028 Games, revealing that cricket, along with a few other sports, will begin before the official opening ceremony. The men’s and women’s T20 tournaments will be played from July 12 to 29, with medal matches slated for July 19 and July 29, just a day before the Games conclude.

Dates for cricket at LA28 Olympics

According to Cricbuzz, cricket matches at the Olympics will be split across two clusters. The first round of fixtures is set from July 12 to 18, followed by a short break before resuming from July 22 to 28. Each tournament will feature six teams, and the action will unfold at a newly constructed Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium in Pomona, about 48 kilometres from downtown Los Angeles.

While the match order and gender-wise sequencing haven’t been confirmed, organisers said a detailed schedule—including medal event slots and gender order—will be released later this year.

“For nearly a century, this location has served as the home of the annual LA County Fair and hosts a variety of year-round events, including trade shows, conventions and sporting events. The sprawling grounds will serve as the backdrop for Cricket’s triumphant return to the Olympic Games-128 years in the making,” LA28 release states.

Qualification in focus at ICC Annual Conference

While the venue and dates are now public, the big question remains: Who gets to play? That will be top of the agenda when the International Cricket Council (ICC) holds its Annual Conference in Singapore from July 17–20. With only six slots available in each category, the ICC must choose between relying on T20I rankings, using the T20 World Cup 2026 as a qualifier, or inviting teams directly.

Complicating matters further is cricket’s unique geopolitical structure. In the Olympics, England, Scotland and Wales compete as Team GB, whereas in cricket they play separately. A proposal for a unified “GB Cricket” team is under consideration but still awaits ICC and IOC clearance.