Cricket at 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles: Will Team GB play? What we know about qualification, format, venue and more
Cricket to return to Olympic programme for the first time in 128 years at Los Angeles Games in 2028; six-team men's and women's T20 tournaments will be held at a venue in the city of Pomona in southern California; ECB and Cricket Scotland have held discussions about entering as Team GB
Wednesday 28 May 2025 12:47, UK
Cricket will return to the Olympics for the first time in 128 years when men's and women's T20 tournaments are held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Not since Great Britain beat France in a two-day game in Paris in 1900 has the sport graced the Games but that will change in California in three years' time.
So what do we know so far about how cricket will operate at the Olympics - and whether there will be Team GB representation?
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When is it?
We don't yet know the exact dates for the cricket competitions at LA 2028 but the Games will run from July 14-30 and feature 36 sports - and 351 events - in total.
Joining cricket as new additions after the 2024 Paris Olympics are the debuting flag football and squash, as well as the returning baseball/softball and lacrosse.
Where is it?
The cricket matches will be played at a temporary stadium in Pomona, a city in southern California about an hour's drive from the athletes' village and 50km east of Los Angeles.
The site, known as Fairplex, is 500-acre, year-round venue that has hosted the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922 as well as concerts, sports and more.
Will Team GB be in it - and what about USA?
If they qualify, then it looks likely there will be a Team GB.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed in a statement that it is "in the process of establishing a new entity - GB Cricket - which will oversee the men's and women's teams representing Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the LA 2028.
"Once established, GB Cricket will apply to be officially recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the representative body for the LA Games."
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) will also be put in place with Cricket Ireland to enable a route for Northern Irish players to participate at LA 2028.
It has already been agreed that the England men's and women's teams will compete to qualify on behalf of Team GB.
Whether USA are involved remains to be seen, with an official telling Reuters: "You'd ideally like to send the top six teams in the men's and women's sections, which is why it's tough to say whether the US will play.
"They are not a full-member (of the ICC) but, being the Olympic hosts, the US naturally have a claim to be there, which makes it such a tough decision."
Who could feature as part of Team GB?
It is unclear as to the balance of a potential Team GB squad and just how many of England's players would dominate the squad, or if regular first-team players would even be made available.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook, when asked for his thoughts on the possibility of playing, said: "It would be pretty cool to play in the Olympics.
"Getting an Olympic gold medal would be pretty cool, wouldn't it? But it's miles away, I haven't thought about that yet."
Scottish players who could then be in the mix for selection at the Olympics could include batter George Munsey, spin bowler Mark Watt and seamer Brad Wheal.
Who won't be playing at the Olympics?
India great Virat Kohli has ruled out returning to T20 internationals after retiring from that format following his country's T20 World Cup win in 2024, although joked he could "come back for one game, get a medal and go home" should India make the final.
We will not see the full West Indies team as the Caribbean nations act as separate states in global sports.
When women's cricket was held at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Barbados represented the region after coming through a qualifying process.
Why now for cricket at the Olympics?
Outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach spoke of the "growing popularity of cricket, especially the T20 format" when the sport was approved, with the lucrative Indian Premier League largely responsible for that part of the game taking off.
Organisers have been eager to use cricket to increase India's interest in the Olympics due to the commercial opportunities available.
The sport is growing in the USA, with part of the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the country and the domestic T20 competition Major League Cricket - which has franchises based in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington, DC - to host its third season this summer.
Will this be a one-off for cricket at the Games?
There is the expectation that cricket will be retained for the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
The finals are likely to be the last matches held at The Gabba before that stadium is demolished and a new 60,000-plus-seater cricket venue is built elsewhere in the city.
Finally, what happened back in 1900?
Great Britain and France were the only teams to compete in the cricket event, with the semi-finals scrapped after Netherlands and Belgium withdrew.
GB won the 12-a-side game at the Velodrome de Vincennes by 158 runs after skittling France for 26 in their second innings, although only triumphed with five minutes left.
Interestingly, Britain were initially awarded silver medals and France bronze before these were later upgraded to gold and silver respectively.
Both sides also received miniature versions of the Eiffel Tower.
