Pakistan Likely to Miss Out on Cricket at 2028 LA Olympics

Cricket returns to the Olympics in 2028, featuring both men's and women's T20 tournaments with just six teams each. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and  ICC have endorsed a regional qualification model, prioritising continental representation over global rankings. This means the top-ranked team from each continent—plus the host nation, the USA—qualify automatically. The final berth remains undecided.

Under the current structure, the allocation is expected as follows:

• Asia: India
   
• Oceania: Australia
   
• Europe: Great Britain (via Team GB)
   
• Africa: South Africa
   
• Americas host: USA
   
• Final spot: Pending decision, possibly via a regional or wildcard entry
   

This setup places Pakistan, along with Sri Lanka and New Zealand, in grave danger of missing out on direct qualification—despite being full ICC members and regularly among the top teams in T20 rankings. Pakistan is reportedly fourth or fifth among Asian teams, behind India, making automatic qualification impossible. New Zealand—ranked fourth globally—will also miss out under the regional system.

Official Reactions & Concerns

• PCB and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the regional model, fearing that they are being penalised despite on-field success. However, the pathway proposal emerges from the ICC AGM in Singapore and is considered unlikely to be reversed.
   
• Guardian Sport reports note that the model was adopted under IOC pressure to prioritise global representation, even if it excludes strong cricket nations.
   

What This Means for Pakistan

Impact	Details
Olympics exclusion likely	With India occupying Asia's sole slot, Pakistan must await a wildcard or playoff opportunity.
No India vs Pakistan clash	The qualifying model guarantees that the iconic rivalry won't feature in LA 2028.
Pressure on ICC & future reforms	Calls are growing for expanded Olympic formats and more merit-based inclusion for future editions.

Upcoming decisions remain focused on whether a sixth-spot playoff or alternative wildcard system will give Pakistan or New Zealand a route to participate. Discussions also include the potential for a Caribbean representative team if the USA Cricket board remains non-compliant with Olympic standards.

Cricket’s Olympic return should be a landmark moment—but Pakistan’s probable exclusion casts a shadow over wider debates about fairness, meritocracy, and the sport’s global expansion strategy.