Karachi, July 31, 2025: Cricket’s long-awaited return to the Olympics could take place without Pakistan, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is poised to approve a continental qualification system for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, potentially sidelining some major Full Member nations, including Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
According to reports from ESPNcricinfo, the proposal received majority approval during the ICC’s recent Annual General Meeting (AGM), with a few members expressing dissent. The system, designed to align with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “five-ring” model, representing participation from each continent, will see only one team from each continent qualify for both men’s and women’s competitions.
This approach marks a shift from the ICC’s earlier idea of selecting the top six-ranked teams at a cut-off date, a model that would have likely secured Pakistan’s participation given its historical and competitive strength in T20 cricket.
Under the proposed structure, the six teams for each gender category will represent Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Americas, and one additional slot likely to be filled through a global qualifier, details of which are still being finalised.
As per current ICC T20I rankings, India (No. 1) is set to represent Asia, placing Pakistan at risk of exclusion despite being one of the world’s most-followed cricketing nations. Other likely qualifiers include Australia (Oceania), England (Europe), and South Africa (Africa). The USA, as Olympic host, may receive automatic qualification, although concerns remain over their men’s squad composition and the standing of their women’s team.
The potential omission of Pakistan would mean the Olympics might not feature an India vs Pakistan match, a marquee rivalry that routinely draws hundreds of millions of global viewers. Analysts warn this would significantly undermine the spectacle and commercial appeal of cricket’s return to the Olympics, its first appearance since 1900.
“This system raises serious questions about fair representation of elite cricketing nations. Leaving out a team like Pakistan, with its deep cricketing legacy and global fan base, risks diluting the competitive and entertainment value of the event,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, other regions are exploring technical pathways to meet the IOC criteria. The West Indies, who compete as a combined team in international cricket, have proposed an internal qualification mechanism among Caribbean nations to select a single Olympic representative.
The United Kingdom will be represented by Great Britain Cricket, a unified entity formed by the ECB, Cricket Scotland, and Cricket Ireland, allowing players from all three nations to compete under the British Olympic banner.
Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, ECB chairman Richard Thompson said the IOC strongly preferred a continent-based representation model, which fits the Olympic Charter’s geographic ethos.
“The preference from the IOC is to work to the ‘five-ring’ principle, with each continent represented,” Thompson explained.
The ICC remains hopeful that the number of participating teams will expand in future editions, notably for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and 2036, which India is reportedly vying to host.
“The hope is that by 2032 or 2036, we’ll have 8 to 12 teams competing. If India wins the 2036 Olympic bid, cricket will be front and centre,” Thompson added.
For now, however, the 2028 Games may proceed without several high-profile cricketing nations, including Pakistan, a possibility that has already triggered concerns among fans, players, and administrators in the cricket-mad country.
A final decision on the qualification structure is expected at the ICC’s next quarterly meeting in October 2025.
