The International Cricket Council (ICC) will set up a Working Group to address several pressing matters, including the qualification pathway for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This was one of the major outcomes of the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) meeting held in Singapore on Friday.
The meeting was chaired by newly appointed ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, with ICC Chair Jay Shah attending in his ex-officio capacity.
According to cricbuzz, the formation of the Working Group could be expedited as early as Saturday during the ICC Board meeting. The Group is expected to comprise members from both the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) and the Board, with its primary mandate being to recommend a qualification system for the 2028 LA Olympics, among other responsibilities.
With cricket set to make a comeback to Olympics after more than a century, the LA Olympics organising committee has allowed the cricket event to be competed only among six teams in both the men’s and women’s categories, and hence, the ICC is divided in its opinion of whether getting the teams through a qualification process or based on rankings.
While the prospect of holding a qualification tournament seems unlikely due to the tight schedule and a packed Future Tours Programme (FTP), the Working Group will be tasked with reviewing all possible options and, if rankings are chosen, suggest a cut-off date to finalise the qualified teams.
Another key decision taken at the meeting was to keep the minimum age for playing senior international cricket at 15, based on recommendations from the ICC’s Medical Advisory Committee. However, exceptions may be allowed in special circumstances.
Meanwhile, the proposal for a two-tier Test format was not discussed at the CEC meeting. It is expected that the Working Group will explore this issue and suggest whether any changes are needed in the structure of the longest format. Similarly, the Group will also explore any adjustments to the white-ball formats.