Talks Begin for Great Britain Cricket Team Ahead of Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Discussions are underway about the potential formation of a Great Britain cricket team that could compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The talks involve the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland as the sport prepares for its much-anticipated return to the Olympic stage.
Cricket Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade confirmed the ongoing negotiations in an interview, explaining that the process is still in its early stages. “We have a really good working relationship with the ECB, so we have been in talks with them and [we’re] in the process of establishing a Team GB cricket entity,” Lindblade said. “That’s what’s required by the British Olympic Association (BOA) for a British team to compete at the Olympic Games.”
The ECB has also confirmed that discussions are taking place, signaling a collaborative approach to creating a unified Team GB side. While no final decisions have been made, the prospect of seeing a combined British cricket team at the Olympics has already generated excitement across the sport.
Cricket at LA 2028 will return in a fast-paced T20 format, with both men’s and women’s tournaments featuring six teams each, as announced last week by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This format is expected to attract global attention and bring the sport back to the Olympic arena nearly 130 years after its last appearance.
“So it’s really interesting,” Lindblade added. “With six teams, we would have an opportunity through the GB concept. Participating teams will be able to field squads of up to 15 players, but the qualification process has not yet been confirmed. There’s still a lot to come in terms of how qualification takes place, not just for those six teams but how – if a GB team were to qualify – we have selection within that. Exciting times ahead.”
Cricket’s only previous appearance at the Olympics was in Paris 1900. On that occasion, Great Britain claimed victory against France by 158 runs in a one-off final, following withdrawals from the Netherlands and Belgium. The return of cricket to the Olympic Games offers an opportunity to rewrite history and present a modern, competitive team on the world stage.
The BOA has also expressed ambitions in other sports. In August, it confirmed hopes to enter a men’s football team into the 2028 Games, combining the talents of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to field a unified Team GB side. In the 2024 Paris Games, England was nominated to attempt to qualify for the women’s football competition on behalf of Team GB but fell short in the Nations League campaign.
With Los Angeles 2028 still three years away, there is ample time for Cricket Scotland, the ECB, and the BOA to finalise structures, selections, and pathways for qualification. Fans will be eager to see whether a unified Team GB cricket squad can capture the imagination and potentially emulate the historic success of their 1900 predecessors.
The formation of a Team GB cricket side would represent a landmark moment for the sport in the United Kingdom, uniting the home nations and providing an exciting platform for players to showcase their talent at the highest level. It also reflects the growing global appeal of T20 cricket and the Olympic movement’s willingness to embrace modern formats to attract new audiences.
