In a major blow, Pakistan men's cricket team is likely to not qualify for the upcoming Olympics that is set to take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. As per a report, the International Cricket Council, the apex ruling body of the sport, has decided to go with the regional qualifying format, which will see teams like Pakistan and New Zealand missing out on the event as cricket makes it return to Olympics after a long gap of 128 years.
As per the report, number 1 ranked men's team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will earn an automatic qualification for the tournament along with hosts USA, who would represent the Americas.
"India and Australia to be awarded spots from Asia and Oceania respectively based on the ICC rankings. The International Olympic Committee favours regional qualifying to ensure all parts of the world are represented at the Games so it is a truly global event," said The Guardian in a report.
With USA set to qualify on the basis of being the hosts, West Indies' chances are also dim. "That would have implications for West Indian islands hoping to compete," the report further stated.
A total of six teams will be selected for the event. While qualification for five spots has been finalised, the process for the sixth team is yet to be determined, said the report.
Cricket's much-hyped return to the Olympics at LA Games will take shape at the Fairgrounds Stadium in the city of Pomena -- about 50km from Los Angeles -- from July 12 with the medal matches scheduled on July 20 and 29, 2028.
A total of six teams each in men's and women's sections and 180 players will compete in the T20 format in the quadrennial showpiece, which hosted cricket for the first and only time in 1900.
There are no matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 and most of the the matchdays will be double headers, according to the competition schedule released by the organisers.
The only time the gentleman's game was played at the Olympics was in Paris way back in 1900. Only two teams, Great Britain and France, competed in a two-day match with the former winning the gold medal.
With a total of 90 athlete quotas allocated in the men's and women's sections, the 12 competing teams can name 15-member squads.
Cricket's growing popularity can be gauged from the fact that three venues in the United States -- Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York -- organised several matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by USA and the West Indies.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had approved cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash as five new sports to feature at the 2028 Games.
(With PTI Inputs)
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