Cricket is set to return to the Olympic Games after 128 years, and the United Kingdom may enter with a single team under the name of Great Britain. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland have started talks to form a combined team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The boards get on well and are cooperating to compile a Team GB cricket team, Cricket Scotland Chief Executive Trudy Lindblade says. The reason behind this is that the British Olympic Association (BOA) needs a British team that represents the country in the Olympics as one entity. The 2028 Olympics will include men’s and women’s T20 cricket tournaments. Only six teams will take part in each event, and each team will be allowed to select 15 players. The qualification process has not been confirmed yet by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the International Cricket Council (ICC).

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England and Scotland Working Together

England is currently ranked second in the world in men’s T20 cricket and third in the women’s rankings. Scotland, however, is outside the top ten in both formats. Forming a single Great Britain team could give both countries a better chance to qualify and compete under the limited six-team rule. In most Olympic sports, athletes from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland compete together as Great Britain. Football has been an exception, but even there, the BOA hopes to bring a Team GB men’s football team to the 2028 Olympics.

Cricket was last played at the Olympics in 1900 in Paris. Back then, a team from Great Britain beat France in the only match of the tournament. In 2028, the cricket matches will be held at a temporary venue in Pomona, California. The idea of a Great Britain cricket team is gaining strong support. Talks between the ECB and Cricket Scotland are ongoing, and both sides are hopeful. If everything goes well, cricket fans could see a united British team on the Olympic stage for the first time in over a century.