The Pakistan national cricket team is in serious danger of missing out on participation in the historic 2028 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA 28.
Cricket is returning to the Olympics after a very long time, and fans’ dream of watching an India vs Pakistan match on the grandest stage might not come true.
12 cricket teams will participate in Olympics
Cricket was officially included in the Olympic Games only once, at the 1900 Paris Summer Olympics, where Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs. Since then, cricket has not been included in the Olympics but the wait will end in 2028 and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also confirmed some details about it.
In the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, a total of 12 cricket teams will participate – 6 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams – and a total of 28 matches will be played. The structure of cricket at the Olympics was finalized at the ICC Board meeting in Dubai.
“The Board reviewed the ICC’s ongoing partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, as cricket deepens its footprint in the global multisport landscape. In the LA28, both the men’s and women’s T20 events will feature six teams each, with a total of 28 matches.”
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What is the qualification process for the LA 28 Olympics?
According to multiple media reports, the original plan was to select the top six teams in the ICC T20I rankings as participants for the Olympics, but this plan was not implemented.
Instead, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to follow a geographically balanced route, allowing teams from different continents to participate in the Olympics.
The ICC has decided that there will be cricket teams from each region or continent. According to TOI, this basically means that the top-ranked team from each continent will make it to the premier event.
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India out of Olympics, Pakistan out?
With this rule made by the International Cricket Council (ICC), India’s national cricket team will qualify for the Olympics from Asia and Pakistan will be deprived. Apart from this, Australia, England and South Africa are also more or less confirmed for the event.
Possible teams:
– Asia: India
– Oceania: Australia
– Europe: England
– Africa: South Africa
The fifth spot could go to the United States (USA) as the host nation, or the West Indies could get the chance, while several teams will compete for the final spot. A global qualifier will be scheduled where teams like Pakistan will participate with the hope of qualifying for the event.
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