DUBAI: Cricket’s return to the Olympic stage at the Los Angeles 2028 Games may not feature the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) moves closer to finalising a regional qualification system, according to media reports.
Cricket will return to the Olympics for the first time since the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France in a one-off match to claim gold.
Both men’s and women’s tournaments at LA 2028 will be played in the T20 format. The ICC has confirmed that competitions will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028, with the women’s final on July 20 and the men’s final on July 29.
ICC qualification system
The ICC is nearing completion of a qualification pathway that grants automatic Olympic berths to the top-ranked team from each continent.
A senior administrator present at the ICC Board meeting in Dubai on Friday, “There have been discussions regarding team participation, and it has been agreed that the six teams will come through the top-ranked nation from each region, plus one from a global qualifier. The structure is nearly finalised, and the ICC will share more details in due course.”
Under this system, according to media reports, India is expected to secure Asia’s automatic berth, while Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africa), and Great Britain (Europe) are likely to qualify directly.
The United States’ spot as the host nation remains uncertain, as the West Indies are also strong contenders for the Americas’ qualification.
For Pakistan, currently ranked seventh in T20 internationals, direct qualification appears unlikely. The team would need to earn the sixth spot through a global qualifier, the details of which are yet to be officially announced by the ICC.
Analysts, cited by international media, said that this structure may allow a non-Asian team to claim the final berth, potentially preventing a traditional India-Pakistan clash.
Continental representation
The ICC’s approach of selecting the top-ranked team from each continent may leave various strong cricketing nations, including Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, outside direct qualification.
The global qualifier is expected to provide one final opportunity for teams that miss out on automatic berths.
The proposed qualification formula marks a shift from previous ICC tournaments, where multiple Asian and subcontinental teams often qualified, raising concerns about traditional rivalries being sidelined in LA 2028.
