GB cricket team nears ratification ahead of LA 2028 Olympics
Team GB to feature men's and women's players from England, Scotland and potentially Northern Ireland
A Great Britain (GB) cricket team, featuring both men’s and women’s players from England, Scotland and potentially Northern Ireland, is nearing ratification by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland ahead of the sport’s long-awaited return to the Olympics in Los Angeles 2028.
According to international media, the new entity is being established to serve as the men’s team’s de facto title defence, which they won in cricket’s last appearance at the Games in Paris 2000.
The report further suggested that the matters of GB Cricket will be overseen by a joint board, comprised of ECB and Cricket Scotland’s both executive and non-executive representatives.
Furthermore, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will also be put in place for Cricket Ireland to entertain the possibility of Northern Irish players to feature in the Olympics as well.
Ireland’s white-ball captain Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, and Ireland women's wicketkeeper Amy Hunter are the most notable Northern Irish players, who could be eligible to participate in the Games.
GB Cricket is scheduled to be legally founded in the next months, after which it will need to be recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the British Olympic Association (BOA) before becoming a full member of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).
Although the qualification process for the LA 2028 Olympics is yet to be established, it has already been decided that the England men’s and women’s teams would vie for the Team GB qualification, with Scotland and Ireland players joining the entity afterwards.
"That would be pretty cool to be able to play in the Olympics and get an Olympic gold medal," England men’s white-ball captain Harry Brook said. "But it's so far away, it's miles away yet. I haven't even thought about that yet."
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