Cricket’s long-awaited return to the Olympic Games is set to rewrite history during the Los Angeles Olympics 2028, but for Pakistan, the dream of being part of this global spectacle is suddenly hanging by a thread.
For the first time in 128 years, cricket will feature at the Olympics, with both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments making their debut at the LA Games. Just six teams in each competition will battle it out for gold, which has set off alarm bells among Pakistani fans.
While final qualification details are still to be confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the pathway to LA 2028 is expected to heavily favor the top-ranked nations in the T20I format. The ICC is likely to devise a plan that will see qualification based on the teams’ international rankings, which does not bode well for Pakistan.
Currently, Pakistan finds itself outside the likely qualifying bracket. In the ICC Men’s T20I rankings, Pakistan sits at No. 7 — a spot that leaves them vulnerable, with only six teams set to compete. The situation is even more worrying on the women’s side, where Pakistan is ranked No. 8 in the T20I standings.
With traditional powerhouses like India, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa ahead in the men’s game — and Australia, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa dominating the women’s rankings — the road to LA for Pakistan looks steep.
However, the silver lining for Pakistan is their potential clash with India. With the global audience watching, the ICC and the IOC will be keen to put on an eye-catching product, and no clash is bigger than the Pakistan-India fixture.
Despite their historic standing, time is running out for Pakistan. Unless Pakistan can climb the rankings in both formats over the next few years, there is a real possibility that the country could be watching cricket’s Olympic return from the sidelines. This would be a bitter pill to swallow for a nation where cricket is deeply embedded in its sporting identity. The absence of a Pakistan cricket team — either men’s or women’s — from the world’s biggest sporting event would mark a significant setback.
For the PCB, the message is clear: results in T20 cricket will need to improve sharply if the Pakistan cricket team is going to grace the LA Olympics in 2028.
With the countdown to LA 2028 well underway, Pakistan faces a defining challenge — one that could either see them take their place on the Olympic stage or face the sobering reality of missing out on cricket’s most historic moment in over a century.