The U.S. is vital for cricket’s growth (Photo by Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
ICC via Getty Images
There were plenty of discussions and development of important issues at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) latest quarterly meetings at headquarters in Dubai.
But not much came out officially from the power brokers except a media release, with a chunk of it dedicated to American cricket – the sport’s No.1 target market.
“The Board reviewed the ICC’s ongoing engagement with the International Olympic Committee and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, as cricket deepens its footprint in the global multisport landscape,” the ICC statement said.
“At LA28, both the men’s and women’s T20 events will feature six teams each, comprising 28 matches in total.”
What the statement didn’t add was that the qualifying format has been agreed upon by the ICC board, it is learned. The proposal is the same that was presented to the board during the ICC’s annual meetings in Singapore in July.
Cricket will be part of the Los Angeles Olympics (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
As I first reported in July, regional rankings are set to largely decide which teams make the cut for the men’s competition played from July 12-29 in Pomona, 30 miles east of Los Angeles.
Under the proposal, the top ranked team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will automatically qualify alongside host U.S, who would represent the Americas.
The final spot will be determined by a qualifier. Allocation via the ICC’s T20 rankings at a cut-off date had been deemed as the likely outcome, but it seems final details still need to be ironed out before it’s all made official.
The West Indies – comprised of various nations in the Caribbean – will have their own regional competition to determine which country will compete for the qualifier.
The T20 World Cup is set to determine the women’s Olympic spots, with the U.S. unlikely to receive an automatic spot due to concerns over their competitiveness.
There is hope that the Olympics can be legacy-defining, especially with a permanent cricket ground in Pomona in the works.
However, the tumult once again engulfing USA Cricket continues to prove not only a distraction but genuine concern over whether the sport can ever be run smoothly in the world’s biggest sports market.
Amid warring between recently suspended USA Cricket and Major League Cricket, the ICC has taken the reins of American cricket. The ICC board is now viewing the governing body as ceasing to even exist.
“They are irrelevant to us now, no point monitoring all the chaos there because they no longer run U.S cricket,” an administrator told me.
It still remains to be seen whether interim administrators will be tasked with helping stabilize USA Cricket. As I have reported previously, Faisal Hasnain, a former long-time cricket administrator, and Indra Nooyi, the legendary ex PepsiCo boss, have been bandied around as possibly being sounded out as they are both U.S. based.
Indra Nooyi has been a prominent figure in cricket (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The ICC are dealing with this situation through ‘Project USA’. “(The project) was launched following the suspension of USA Cricket,” the ICC said.
“In line with the ICC’s directive that the commercial and development interests of players in the US national teams should not be negatively impacted by the suspension of the Board due to non-compliance.
“The project is focused on building an optimised runway to Cricket’s inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympic Games and enhancing performance pathways for the US national teams through ongoing participation in ICC Events.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tristanlavalette/2025/11/13/the-us-is-vital-in-deepening-crickets-global-footprint/
