By Zainab Shafiq 
Cricket is set to make a remarkable comeback to the Summer Olympics, with the eagerly anticipated return slated for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This monumental decision, arriving 128 years after the sport’s lone Olympic appearance, was officially announced by LA28 in a recent media release.
In this eagerly awaited development, cricket shares the limelight with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash, all of which have been recommended for “potential inclusion” as new additions to the LA Olympics. The announcement underscores LA28’s vision for an evolving Olympic program that resonates with relevance, innovation, and community engagement.
The fate of this recommendation now rests with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is set to deliberate on it during its executive board meeting scheduled for October 14 and 15 in Mumbai. Casey Wasserman, the chairperson of LA28, expressed his enthusiasm for the recommended sports, highlighting their ability to captivate imaginations both on and off the field. He emphasized the sports’ grassroots appeal, played in settings ranging from local backyards to global stadiums, with the potential to attract new athletes and diversify fanbases. Wasserman sees this as a means to elevate the Olympic experience, especially in the digital realm.
While the cricketing community celebrated this milestone, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay struck a note of cautious optimism, acknowledging that this is a significant step but not the final verdict. Cricket’s journey back to the Olympics gained momentum when it was added to a shortlist of nine sports under consideration last July, despite not initially making the IOC’s list of 28 sports in February.
During the presentation to LA28, the ICC put forward a proposal for a six-team T20 event for both men and women. This format would feature the top-six ranked sides in the ICC’s T20 rankings at a specified cutoff date. The choice of T20 aligns with LA28 and IOC criteria, emphasizing the need for a world championship, a compact duration, and a format with significant spectator interest. However, specifics regarding the tournament structure remain undisclosed at this stage.
The prospect of cricket’s return to the Olympics is a monumental moment for a sport embraced by nearly half of the world’s population. Its previous Olympic appearance dates back to 1900 in Paris when Great Britain emerged victorious in a game that bore a resemblance to a first-class fixture, played over two days with four innings.
The cricketing world now eagerly awaits the IOC’s decision, and the anticipation of cricket in the 2028 LA Olympics continues to capture hearts and imaginations across the globe.
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