How can Pakistan men's & women's teams qualify for cricket events at LA Olympics 2028?

Pakistan men’s and women’s teams will have to navigate a difficult path.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the qualification scenario for the LA Olympics 2028 on Monday, June 29. The tournament will be hosted by the USA in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028. Cricket will make a comeback in the Olympics after more than a century.

A total of six teams will battle in each of the men’s and women’s events in the LA Olympics 2028, and there is a possibility that it will not witness an India vs Pakistan game as the latter would find it challenging to make it to the global cricket event.

Last year, there was a major debate over whether teams would qualify based on T20I rankings (which happens in ICC tournaments) or according to the continental system (one country from each continent). Finally, the ICC has announced that the teams will qualify through the continental system.

The LA Olympics 2028 will be played in the T20I format. A total of six teams will compete for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. As the host, the USA will get direct entry; however, they will have to break into the top 15 of the ICC T20I rankings by the end of this year.

Moreover, the top teams in T20I rankings from four continents- Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania- before the end of this year, i.e. December 31, 2026, will be the other four teams. One more team will qualify through the Global Qualification Tournament, which will be played next year.

How can the Pakistan men’s team qualify for LA Olympics 2028?

Pakistan are currently ranked sixth in the ICC rankings with 240 points, while India hold the top spot with 272 rating points. The rest of the Asian teams are below Pakistan, so they do not have a competition against them as of now.

To secure a spot in the LA Olympics 2028 from the Asian subcontinent, Pakistan must overtake India in the T20I rankings by December 31, 2026, or earlier. This way, they will become the only Asian team to play in the tournament. However, it looks like an impossible target to achieve for the Asian side.

If they fail to do so, Pakistan will have to qualify through the 2027 Olympic Global Qualification Tournament. This tournament will be played between eight of the top 12 T20I teams, excluding the four teams that have already qualified.

Same scenario applies to the Pakistan Women’s team

Notably, the Pakistan Women’s team will also have to go through the same qualification process. They currently hold the 8th spot in the ICC T20I rankings with 210 rating points, following their Asian rival India, who hold the third spot with 262 rating points.

They need to leapfrog India in the rankings by the end of this year. Otherwise, they will have to play in the Global Olympic Qualifier Tournament next year to become one of the six teams in the LA Olympics 2028.

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