New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The qualifiers for the Los Angeles Olympic Games have been pushed back to January, February 2028 as teams will battle it out to participate in the cricket event at the Games.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier decided to conduct the men's and women's qualifiers in 2027 to decide the final berths across the two categories for the Los Angeles Games.

However, as per a report in Cricinfo, the qualifiers have now been shifted to early 2028, which will be less than six months before the Olympics are played in June.

With cricket returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, six teams each in men's and women's cricket will be vying for prestigious medals.

For women's Olympics, four teams - Australia, India, South Africa and Great Britain - have already confirmed their places in the LA2028 due to their performance at the T20 World Cup 2026.

For the men's competition, the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania in the ICC T20I rankings as of 31 December 2026 will earn direct entries to the Olympics.

USA can secure the fifth automatic slot in men's and women's competitions if they are ranked in the top 15 during any time in the qualification period from June 30, 2026 to December 31, 2026. While the USA men's team is ranked 13th, giving them assurance of a qualification, the women's side is currently 19th.

The ICC had stated that if the USA women's team fail to be in the top 15, the fifth spot will be given to the highest-placed non-qualified nation in the ICC T20I rankings from any continent as of 1 March 2027.

As per Cricinfo, the ICC has updated that criteria as the fifth spot in the women's Olympics will now be given to the team based on standings in the Women's Champions Trophy next year if USA women's team fails to storm into the top 15 in the rankings.

The last berth in both men's and women's game will be given to the winner of the qualifiers. The men's and women's Olympic qualifiers will feature eight teams each, and the top team from the two competitions will be the sixth team to feature in the main Olympic event.

The venues for the men's and the women's events have not been confirmed. The eight teams that will play the qualifiers will include the seven highest-ranked teams (outside automatic qualifiers) and the Caribbean Regional Qualifier's winner.

Meanwhile, the men's and women's T20 World Cups will be held closely in 2028. The Women's T20 World Cup 2028 will be played in Pakistan from September 7 to October 1, while the men's event will take place in Australia and New Zealand from October 12 to November 12.

After 128 years, Cricket will make its long-awaited return to the Olympic stage, after its one and only Olympic performance at the Paris Games in 1900.

--IANS

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