Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 was welcomed as a historic breakthrough. But a growing chorus of voices within the sport now believes the debut is being compromised by a format that is too limited to truly reflect the global game.
In a recent cricexec poll of top cricket industry executives, 69% said there should be more than six teams per gender in the Olympic competition. Just 31% supported the current plan.
This overwhelming support for expansion highlights broader concerns that the current model doesn’t do justice to the scale or diversity of international cricket.
Athlete caps driving the six-team limit
The plan currently in place allows for just six teams in both the men’s and women’s T20 tournaments at LA28. The decision is tied to a fixed allocation of 180 athlete quotas granted to cricket by the International Olympic Committee — 90 male and 90 female players. With 15-player squads, that leaves room for only six countries per competition.
The United States, as host, is expected to automatically qualify in at least of the tournaments, though that is not confirmed. That would mean only five teams in one of the competitions will earn qualification, and six in the other. It is generally assumed that qualification will be based on rankings, given the complexity of a qualifying process.
The tight restrictions are not necessarily driven by the ICC but by logistical constraints within the Olympic ecosystem, particularly the limited capacity of the Olympic Village and the overall athlete cap of 10,500 participants across all existing sports and an additional 698 slots for the five new sports, including cricket.
Key cricket nations at risk of missing out
With only five or six open spots, even full ICC members with strong T20 traditions are at risk of missing out. If current rankings are used, countries like Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Bangladesh — not to mention emerging cricket markets — could find themselves excluded from the Olympic stage.
In the women’s game, where growth and investment are accelerating, limiting the field to six teams could also exclude key nations poised for breakout moments.
What should be a moment of unity and visibility for global cricket may instead feel like a closed shop.
Industry voices call for expansion
Among the most vocal critics of the current format is IPL founder Lalit Modi. In an Instagram post following the LA28 announcement, Modi questioned whether the structure would actually grow the game in the United States:
“Finally announced only 6 Teams will participate in the first ever inclusion of #cricket in an @olympics event in 2028 #losangeles #usa. Will that make cricket flourish in America? My personal view — not in this century. By just having 6 teams may be a good start and a chance for #India to win a #gold medal.”
Modi’s comments echo a sentiment that many in the cricket world share: this was a golden opportunity to showcase cricket’s diversity and global reach. Instead, many now worry that the LA28 debut may come across as exclusive and limited.
The case for more teams — if not now, then by 2032
Multiple industry voices are encouraging the ICC and Olympic organizers to explore creative ways to expand the format — whether that means negotiating for a larger quota or reducing squad sizes slightly.
And if a change isn’t feasible for LA28, many now view Brisbane 2032 as a critical opportunity to deliver a more inclusive and representative Olympic cricket tournament given Australia’s cricketing heritage and the popularity of the sport in that host country.
The cricexec poll is just the latest sign that the global cricket community believes six is not enough. To fully capitalize on the Olympic stage and inspire the next generation, cricket needs to show the world what it truly is: a sport played passionately across continents, cultures, and communities — not just six of them.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
