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According to The Guardian, the ICC has approved the process of qualifying teams on a regional basis. The top ranked teams from Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will get direct qualification to the Olympics. If this is the case, then four of the 6 teams qualifying for the Olympics will be India, Australia, South Africa and Great Britain.
The USA team will qualify from the American continent as the host, but this can be changed because the ICC had asked the USA Cricket Board to resign under the Olympic certification framework. If the USA Cricket Board does not accept this, then the slot of the American team will go to one of the Caribbean countries. At the same time, there is still doubt about the sixth and last place, for which it is also possible to organize a qualification tournament.
If this new system is implemented, only the top ranked T20 team from Asia will be able to qualify for the Olympics. India is currently the number 1 T20 team not only in Asia but in the world, while Pakistan is at the eighth position. In such a situation, Team India will get the Olympic ticket from Asia, but teams like Pakistan will not qualify for the Olympics along with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
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The New Zealand Cricket Board also did not like this rule, which is currently at the fourth position in the T20 rankings. But the top team from Oceania is currently Australia, which is at the second position in the rankings. Whereas due to qualification on a regional basis, South Africa will qualify despite being at the fifth position below New Zealand in the rankings.
This will be only the second time that cricket will be played in the Olympics. Cricket was first played in the Paris Olympics in 1900 in which Britain won the gold medal by defeating France in the only match. Now it remains to be seen who wins the gold when cricket returns to the Olympics after 128 years. The decision to include cricket was taken during the IOC meeting in Mumbai in October 2023.
Against this backdrop, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is orchestrating a two-pronged response on the field and off it. According to recent reports, the PCB is “mounting a strong lobbying effort” with both the ICC and LA28 Organizing Committee to revisit the qualification timeline, selection framework, and to ensure there is a fair opportunity for Pakistan to qualify on merit.
While off-field diplomacy is crucial, the onus is equally on on-field performance. Pakistan’s men’s team is currently ranked eighth in T20Is, but scheduled series and tournaments in the next year create windows to improve standings before the cut-off. Winning consistently in these fixtures is perhaps the most direct and decisive way for Pakistan to enter Olympic contention.
The possible exclusion from LA28 has sparked widespread debate within Pakistan, with fans, officials, and media expressing both disappointment and determination to avoid missing out. Olympic participation carries immense symbolic value—it is not just about medals, but about national pride, uniting a passionate fan base, and presenting Pakistan’s sporting identity to a global audience.
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