Pakistan is likely to miss out on the 2028 Olympic Games after the International Cricket Council (ICC) finalised its qualification format for the men’s T20 cricket competition at the Los Angeles Games. Only six teams will participate, one of which is reserved for the host nation, the United States. The remaining five places will be awarded to the highest-ranked teams from each continent, meaning India (Asia), Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africa), and Great Britain (Europe) are expected to qualify directly. This leaves no direct route for countries such as Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

In other sports, qualification rounds are held in each zone, and teams secure Olympic berths through competition rather than ranking alone. It is also noteworthy that qualification for the women’s cricket tournament will be decided by the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The ICC should either organise regional qualification events so that teams know their final chance to qualify, or consider that the 2026 T20 World Cup hosts, the United States, along with the top five teams from that tournament, could be granted Olympic entry. Furthermore, the ICC should request the International Olympic Committee to increase the number of teams from six to twelve. If divided into four groups of three, the group stage would comprise 12 matches, followed by semi-finals and a final — just 15 matches in total. Currently, six teams play each other in 15 matches before the knockout stage, with the semi-finals and final bringing the total to 18 matches.

Other team sports have larger squads than individual events and still accommodate more teams. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, field hockey featured 12 teams divided into two groups, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Football hosted 16 teams in four groups, and both volleyball and basketball had 12 participating teams.

It is essential to ensure that cricket’s Olympic format is fair, competitive, and inclusive.

GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN,

Karachi.