ECB contacts Cricket Scotland to field ‘Great Britain’ team in 2028 Olympics

The England Cricket Board (ECB) is in discussions with Cricket Scotland about forming a “Great Britain” cricket team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to a report from ESPN Cricinfo on Wednesday.

Cricket will be part of the Olympics for the first time in over 100 years; the only other time it was played in the Olympics was in 1900.

In the Olympics, athletes from the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, compete under the “Great Britain” banner as Team GB. The ECB wants the cricket team to do the same in 2028, and they are working with Cricket Scotland to make this happen.

“With the Los Angeles Olympics four years away, it’s still very early, but we’re talking to Team GB and Cricket Scotland about the steps we need to take. We’re excited to work together to compete when cricket returns to the Olympic stage in 2028,” an ECB spokesperson told ESPN Cricinfo.

“Along with England and Wales hosting the Women’s and Men’s [T20] World Cups in 2026 and 2030, it’s a great chance to grow the game and get more people interested in cricket.”

Andy Anson, the Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association, mentioned that different nations under the same body have come together in other sports, like golf, rugby, and women’s football, and the same could happen in cricket.

“We’ve seen how the Four Nations [England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland] can work together in sports like golf, rugby, and women’s football. Cricket can do the same,” Anson said.

While it’s confirmed that cricket will be played in the T20 format, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not yet decided how many teams will participate.