ICC confirms hosts and dates for LA28 cricket qualifiers

Bangladesh will host the men's Olympic cricket qualifier and the USA the women's, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed, with eight teams in each event and one final place at Los Angeles 2028 at stake in both.

The men's tournament runs from 5 to 13 February 2028, with the women's event following from 26 February to 5 March 2028, according to the ICC's website.

The hosts and dates were confirmed by the ICC Board after its meetings in Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday, according to Telangana Today.

How the qualifiers work

Each tournament has eight teams in two groups of four, and 13 matches in total. Teams play everyone else in their group once, and the group winners meet in a final.

The winner of that final takes the last qualification place for LA28. The ICC describes the events as the final stage of the qualification pathway for cricket's return to the Olympic programme.

Four women's teams already through

India, Great Britain, Australia and South Africa have already qualified in the women's competition. The ICC says each was the top-ranked side in its region: Asia, Europe, Oceania and Africa respectively.

Wider package of approvals

Telangana Today reports that the decisions form part of a broader set of approvals covering event schedules, competition formats and qualification pathways. The ICC says the changes are aimed at expanding opportunities for Full and Associate Members.

ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said the events calendar and qualification pathways were central to the global development of the game.

"The ICC events portfolio and schedule are critical components of cricket's global architecture."

Gupta also stressed the importance of giving athletes and member associations long-term visibility of events.

The Board also approved the qualification framework for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028 Global Qualifier, which will feature 16 teams and 31 matches in the first quarter of 2028.

Why it matters

Cricket returns to the Olympics after 128 years, according to the ICC. For the sides still chasing a place, these two events are the last chance to reach the Games.

Which team do you think is best placed to win a place at LA28?