ICC proposes six-teams T20 tournament for men and women at 2028 Olympics

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has proposed a six-team T20 event for men and women to the Los Angeles Olympic Games organising committee. Even though it was rumoured that the game couldn’t find a place in the 2028 Olympics, it is understood that no decision has been taken as of now and a final decision on the same will be announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) around October 2023.

If the  Los Angeles Olympic Games organising committee eventually agrees to ICC’s proposal, six men’s and women’s teams will be seen participating in the grand event. As per a report by ESPNcricinfo, six participating teams would be the top six in the ICC's men's and women's T20 rankings as per a specific cut-off date.

The tournament structure is another matter that’s still under discussion. Cricket’s apex governing body is in contact with the organising committee and a decision on the same will be made soon. At the moment, it is very likely that it will be a 20-overs format as it was initially recommended by IOC to ICC.

Meanwhile, the organising committee has informed ICC that the quality of the event must not be compromised if they indeed get permission. They stated that it should only be contested by the very best and thus, the reason for playing with only six teams came into the picture.

It has also been discussed that both men’s and women’s events will be hosted at a particular ground as there are a lot of complications with the facilities. The game requires a number of pitches along with training grounds for teams to prepare and the organising team might fail to provide so much space. Thus, all the games will be taking place at a single venue if it indeed gets the green light.

Notably, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has been added to the ICC's Olympics working group, which is headed by Greg Barclay (ICC chairman). It also includes Indra Nooyi (independent director), and Paraag Marathe (former USA Cricket president).

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