Black Caps in danger of not making 2028 LA Olympics

Thursday, 31 July 2025

Tom Latham's shoulder injury has forced the Black Caps to make some changes for the series opener.

The Black Caps are in danger of missing out on playing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

It’s understood the International Cricket Council has opted to use a regional qualifying format favoured by the Olympic movement to select the six teams to contest the men’s T20 tournament.

Australia and India are likely to be awarded men’s spots from Oceania and Asia respectively based on the ICC rankings, should they remain in the top two spots they currently hold in the format when the criteria is applied for the Games.

New Zealand currently sit fourth in the ICC men’s rankings for T20Is, but face an enormous task to overtake No.1 Australia.

It’s also believed a place will be given in both men’s and women’s tournaments to a Great Britain team - despite England (and Wales) and Scotland playing as separate entities in ICC competitions.

A report in The Guardian said the ICC decided to use a system of regional qualifying, to help make the men’s cricket tournament a global contest, after discussions at its annual general meeting in Singapore this month.

The Black Caps celebrates a wicket during a T20 versus Pakistan, at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, in March.

“It has been proposed that the top-ranked team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa qualify automatically along with the United States, who would represent the Americas. That would have implications for West Indian islands hoping to compete,” The Guardian said, with the mechanism for determining the final place yet to be decided.

New Zealand Cricket told The Post it has acknowledged the story, but can’t comment on it until there is official confirmation from the ICC, International Olympic Committee and the NZOC.

The Guardian said New Zealand and Pakistan - who are behind India in both the men’s and women’s ICC T20 rankings - are unhappy with the ICC’s decision, “but while it has yet to be ratified by the board it is unlikely to be reversed.”

The Black Caps have just completed an unbeaten T20 tri-series tournament win over South Africa and Zimbabwe in Harare.

Qualification for the women’s tournament for LA 2028 will be decided by placings at next year’s T20 World Cup staged in England. The White Ferns are the defending champions after their shock victory last year.

The 2026 men’s T20 World Cup will be contested in India and Sri Lanka, starting in February.

The 2028 Games in Los Angeles is set to mark the return of cricket to the Olympics after a 128-year hiatus.