ECB, Cricket Scotland In Discussion To Form Great Britain Team In LA28 Olympics

Cricket Scotland and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have initiated discussions to form a combined Great Britain men’s and women’s cricket teams for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The move comes after the LA28 organising committee finalised cricket's return to the Games as a six-team T20 tournament for both genders - the first Olympic appearance since 1900, when Great Britain won gold.

Cricket Scotland CEO Trudy Lindblade confirmed that talks are underway with the ECB and the British Olympic Association (BOA) to create a unified Team GB cricket entity, a requirement for Olympic participation.

“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. That’s what’s required by the British Olympic Association (BOA) for a British team to compete at the Olympic Games.” Cricket Scotland Chief Executive Officer Trudy Lindblade told BBC Radio 4.

“So it’s really interesting, the six teams for us, we would have an opportunity through the GB concept. There’s 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. So, exciting times, and we’ll continue to liaise with the ECB and our colleagues at LA 2028 and ICC. It will be interesting,” Lindblade said.

Matches will be held at a temporary venue at the Pomona Fairplex in Los Angeles. The qualification process and team selection protocols are yet to be determined.

The last Olympic instance of a Great Britain team in football was during London 2012, with hopes of a similar return for LA 2028.