Jay Shah’s masterstroke blocks Pakistan from competing in Olympics

The Pakistan National Cricket Team are in serious danger of missing out on participation in the historic 2028 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA 28.

Cricket will be making a comeback to the Olympics after a very long time, and the dream of the fans to see an India vs Pakistan match at the grandest stage of them all might not come true.

12 Cricket Teams To Feature In Olympics

Cricket has officially been contested only once in the Olympic Games at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, where Great Britain beat France by 158 runs. Since then, cricket has not featured in the Olympics, but the wait for it will end in 2028, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also confirmed some details regarding it.

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In the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, a total of 12 cricket teams will be featuring - 6 men's teams and 6 women's teams - and 28 matches will be played in total. The structure for Cricket in the Olympics was finalised at the ICC Board Meeting in Dubai.

“The Board reviewed the ICC’s ongoing engagement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, as cricket deepens its footprint in the global multisport landscape. At LA28, both men’s and women’s T20 events will feature six teams each, comprising 28 matches in total.”

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What's the qualification process for the LA 28 Olympics?

As per several media reports, the original plan was to pick the top six teams on the ICC T20I Rankings as the participants for the Olympics, but this plan was not implemented.

Instead of this, the International Cricket Council (ICC) made the decision to follow a geographically balanced route, which allows teams from different continents to feature in the Olympics.

The ICC has decided that there will be cricket teams from each region or continent. This basically means that the top-ranked team in each continent will make it to the marquee event, as per TOI.

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India IN, Pakistan OUT of the Olympics?

This rule made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) will see the India National Cricket Team qualify for the Olympics from Asia, and Pakistan will be snubbed. Also, Australia, England, and South Africa are more or less confirmed for the event.

Likely Teams:

- Asia: India

- Oceania: Australia

- Europe: England

- Africa: South Africa

The fifth slot might be given to the United States of America (USA) as a host nation, or the West Indies might get an opportunity, while several teams will battle for the last spot. A global qualifier will be scheduled where teams like Pakistan will take part with the hope of qualifying for the event.

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