England and Scotland to play together? Cricket boards mull over Team Great Britain for Los Angeles Olympics 2028

Cricket is set to be a part of the Olympics, making its debut in the Summer Games 2028 in Los Angeles. As Great Britain is featured in the Olympics, England and Scotland players might play together in LA28.

A glimpse from LA28 Olympics Games Handover Celebration. (Photo – Getty Images)

New Delhi: With cricket’s successful inclusion in the Olympics, the Summer Games 2028 in Los Angeles could see England and Scotland cricket teams joining forces as part of Team Great Britain – which is represented at the Olympics. The cricket boards of the nations have already opened talks about their plans over the men’s and women’s GB teams for the upcoming edition of the marquee event.

As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the ECB and Cricket Scotland have discussed about working together on the proposed Team GB cricket teams and it is reported that Cricket Scotland are actively involved and are keen to contribute players and staff while the ECB remains the teams’ nominated governing body. “With the Los Angeles Olympics four years away, it’s very early stages, but we’re talking to Team GB and Cricket Scotland about the next steps we need to take,” ESPNcricinfo quoted an ECB spokesperson as saying.

“Once again Great Britain’s Olympians have captured the national imagination with their exploits in Paris this year, and we look forward to working together to compete when cricket returns to the Olympic stage in 2028,” the spokesperson added.

The chief executive of the British Olympic Association, Andy Anson said that the Four Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) have previously worked together for other sports for the Olympics and can do similar for cricket as well. “We will help them (Four Nations) sign agreements to come together and create a single national governing body, as we have done in those other sports.

It is to be noted that Olympics’ Team GB is officially the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team and the athletes hailing from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for either Team GB or Ireland. As far as cricket is concerned, it is organised on an all-Ireland basis which might trouble the cricketers hailing from the northern region.

Proposed format

Cricket was last played in the Olympics in 1900 which was a men’s contest with just two teams as GB won over France. The game has marked its return for the 2028 Olympics and will be played as a T20 tournament as proposed by the ICC. The details are still awaited but it is known that six teams will be a part of the event and the cricket leg would last around a week, being played consecutively rather than simultaneously.

The ICC are also yet to confirm the qualification details but it seems the ICC’s T20I rankings will be used. While the rest of the nations will compete as they have usually, if England qualify, then they will play as Great Britain which could see the addition of some Scottish players as well.

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