USA Cricket Team Poised for Olympic Return Amid Push for Qualifier-Based Selection

Cricket's long-awaited return to the Olympic stage is gathering steam, and with it comes an intense debate over how teams, including the rising U.S. men’s team, will earn their spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. As the International Cricket Council (ICC) prepares for critical meetings in Singapore from July 17 to 20, pressure is mounting for qualification tournaments—rather than ICC T20 rankings—to determine Olympic entry.

The sport, absent from the Olympics for 128 years, will feature six men's and six women's teams in a temporary venue located in Pomona, 30 miles east of Los Angeles. While the host city and format are set, the qualification process remains unresolved.

Traditionally, rankings would have dictated Olympic spots; however, several ICC members, particularly from Associate nations, are pushing for a fairer and more inclusive qualification pathway. This could give countries like the USA—whose men’s team turned heads at last year’s T20 World Cup on home soil—a greater chance to qualify based on performance rather than historical status.

As the host nation, the United States is expected to receive at least one automatic berth, although it remains unclear whether this applies to both the men's and women's teams. With only six team slots available per gender, many smaller nations have voiced concern over the limitations of a rankings-only system.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has capped cricket’s total athlete quota at 90 per gender, allowing 15 players per squad. In such a constrained format, advocates argue that T20 qualifiers not only ensure fairness but also bring the kind of drama and unpredictability seen in other Olympic sports like basketball and football.

“We should really make the most of cricket being in the Olympics and have qualifying tournaments instead of rankings,” said Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who has served on the ICC’s Olympic working group since 2020. “The qualifiers should be for everyone, not just Full Members.”

Opponents cite logistical and financial challenges as reasons to stick with rankings, given cricket’s already packed international calendar. However, a hybrid model—combining direct qualifications via rankings with regional qualifying tournaments—is also being considered.

Sumod Damodar, one of the three Associate representatives on the ICC’s Chief Executives’ Committee, emphasized the importance of inclusivity. “It would be great to showcase a curtain-raiser before the Olympics,” he said. “We need to make sure the right decision is made for cricket because the sport wants to be part of Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

While a final decision may not be reached until later ICC meetings this year, the discussions in Singapore are expected to set the tone for how cricket will be staged at LA 2028—and whether emerging teams like the USA will get a fighting shot through the thrill of qualification tournaments.