The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland have opened talks of fielding a common team at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. This conversation comes after the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympics and with cricket set to mark its return for the first time since 1900. However, the details around cricket in Olympics are yet to be confirmed, the ECB and Cricket Scotland are open to fielding one team in both, men’s as well as women’s cricket.
“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,” spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “Once again Great Britain’s Olympians have captured the national imagination with their exploits in Paris this year, and we look forward to working together to compete when cricket returns to the Olympic stage in 2028,” he further added.
However Cricket Scotland are pushing for active involvement and contributing players and staff, but the ECB is said to be the teams’ nominated governing body at the Olympics. Furthermore, it is to be noted that England and Wales will be hosting the Women’s and Men’s T20 World Cups in 2026 and 2030, which is a set towards the two nations fielding a common team at the quadrennial Games.
Andy Anson, Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association on Monday said, “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.”
Why will England Cricket Board and Cricket Scotland field one team at LA 2028 Olympics?
Team Great Britain (Team GB) is officially the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team, and athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for either Team GB or Ireland. But since cricket is organised on an all-Ireland basis, leading Northern Irish cricketers such as Mark Adair and Paul Stirling are highly unlikely to nominate themselves for Team GB.
Speaking of cricket in Olympics, the sport is making its return since 1900. However, many details around the tournament aren’t yet announced, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has proposed a six-team T20 tournament for both men’s as well as women’s. The qualification details are also yet not confirmed but the ICC is looking at T20I rankings as its main basis.
Moreover, speaking of the venue, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Major Cricket league have plans to build a stadium in Great Park in Irvine, while Oakland Coliseum is also being looked as a possible venue.