The sport of cricket will make its return in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland are reportedly in talks about fielding a collective Great Britain cricket team in the event.
Cricket was last played in the Paris Olympics in 1900 and Great Britain won the gold medal, defeating France in the final.
Athletes from the United Kingdom compete in the Olympics as members of Great Britain and Northern Olympic Ireland Team, known as 'Team GB', which is organized by the British Olympic Association.
As a result, the cricket squad could include both English and Scottish players. The ECB is looking forward to the potential to expand the game and has begun discussions with Cricket Ireland.
"With the Los Angeles Olympics four years away, it's very early stages, but we're talking to Team GB and Cricket Scotland about the next steps we need to take. We look forward to working together to compete when cricket returns to the Olympic stage in 2028. Along with England and Wales hosting Women's and Men's [T20] World Cups in 2026 and 2030, it's another great opportunity to grow the game and inspire more people to develop a love for cricket,” an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Andy Anson, chief executive of the British Olympic Association, stated that nations might band together to propose one country as the primary regulatory body for cricket at the Games. Anson also stated that the ECB will need to collaborate with Cricket Scotland to ensure that it goes smoothly.
“We've got good experience in golf, in rugby, and in women's football, of how the Four Nations [England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland] can come together and nominate one country to be the main governing body and work with the other countries. So I think cricket will be the same,” said Anson.
"The ECB will be at the center of that. They'll have to work with Cricket Scotland to make sure that happens properly. We will help them sign agreements to come together and create a single national governing body, as we have done in those other sports. We are working very closely with the ECB to make them become the fully-fledged National Olympic Committee member,” he added.
The details of the cricket event at the 2028 LA Olympics are yet to be finalized; however, ICC has put forward the idea of 20 over competition comprising six teams. The qualification criteria for the event are yet to be out.
