The LA28 Olympic Cricket Qualification Criteria is to be decided at the ICC annual conference in Singapore

The International Cricket Council (ICC), J Shah, and the new CEO, the new Chairman of Sanjog Gupta, will attend their first annual conference since taking over in Singapore between 13 and 17 July. The LA28 Olympic cricket qualification will be one of the top agenda.

Cricket will return to the Olympics after 128 years of absence. However, with only six teams, with qualification for T20 event in men and women categories, ICC is a difficult task in establishing a qualification criteria.

As Cricbuzz reportThe ICC will also discuss the need for a minimum age to play senior cricket, which is currently set to 15. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who broke the 35-gendon centenary in IPL 2025, will also fail to meet the minimum age norms. Possibility of a mobile cricket game.

ICC Annual Conference Agenda

• LA28 Olympic Cricket Qualification Criteria
• USA’s automatic qualification status as host nation
• Official mobile cricket game
• Minimum age for senior cricket

LA28 Olympic Cricket Qualification Criteria

Even Cricket makes a grand comeback in the Olympics after 128 years, the ICC has a lot of challenges in determining the qualification criteria. Unlike other Olympic Games, cricket does not follow the same pattern. For example, Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) compete as a unit in the Olympics. However, in cricket, Scotland and England compete separately. Similarly, West Indies compete as a unit in cricket. However, in the Olympics, all the Caribbean Islands are separately affiliated nations.

While England and Scotland have agreed to make GB cricket, they will need the ICC and IOC node. The Caribbean Islands have also demanded clarity to the ICC. He has urged the ICC to allow an inter-iland qualifying round to determine which island should represent the West Indies in the Olympics.

Now, the ICC will have to take a call. Considering the packed cricket calendar, it is unlikely that there will be a separate LA28 cricket qualifying tournament. The final position in the T20I rankings and the T20 World Cup may be the other two possible qualification criteria.

Currently, England, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand make the top 6 in men’s ICC T20I rankings. Those six nations also make the top 6 in the female ICC T20I rankings.

LA28 Possible criteria for cricket qualification

• ICC rankings
• Standalone La28 Qualification Tournament
• Aadhaar ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as Qualification Tournament
• invitation only

ICC’s USA problem

The United States is a colleague nation in the ICC and not a complete member nation. Despite their heroines in the T20 World Cup 2024, the USA ranks 17th among men and is ranked 25th in the women’s T20I rankings. As the host nation gets an automatic qualification berth in the Olympics, if the USA receives such a space, the ICC will have to take a call.

If the USA earns an automated qualification, it will leave the LA28 Olympic cricket with only five top teams. In such a situation, countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka could miss the Olympic berths. It should be noted that India vs Pakistan Cricket match makes a spectacle and earns millions in revenue.