ICC Welcomes Announcement of Cricket Venue for LA28 Olympic Games
Dubai, Apr 16: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed its enthusiasm following the announcement of Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California, as the venue for cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic Games.
Cricket will make its return to the Olympics after 128 years, with six teams participating in both the men’s and women’s competitions. ICC Chair Jay Shah welcomed the venue confirmation, emphasizing the importance of this milestone in cricket’s Olympic journey.
Shah stated, “We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards preparing for our sport’s return to the Olympics. Cricket, being a hugely popular sport, will have the fantastic opportunity to expand its traditional boundaries through the fast-paced, exciting T20 format, which should appeal to new audiences.”
He added, “On behalf of the ICC, I would like to express our gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for their support. We look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success at the Games.”
Cricket made its only Olympic appearance at the 1900 Paris Games and was included in the LA28 Olympics following an IOC meeting in Mumbai in October 2023.
In addition to cricket, the LA28 Games will feature five new sports: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.
The ICC sees the T20 format as key to growing the sport, with the format having already been featured in other multi-sport events, including the Asian Games (2010, 2014, and 2023) and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
