Pakistan, New Zealand unhappy, set to miss LA 2028 after failure to qualify- Report

Former T20 World Cup winners Pakistan and New Zealand are set to miss the qualification for the cricket event in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Cricket will return to the quadrennial event after a 128-year hiatus, and India and Australia will compete with the United States of America (USA) at the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.

If the USA does not receive National Governing Body (NGB) recognition from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), it may also be disqualified from LA28 even if they are the host. According to the Olympic Charter, this is a prerequisite for competing in the Games.

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, the USA made an impression by making it to the Super Eight round and, most importantly, by defeating Pakistan in the group stage.

Pakistan and New Zealand set to miss LA Olympics qualification

The ICC verified the qualification scenario during the July Annual General Meeting in Singapore, which means that Pakistan and New Zealand may not be able to compete in the men's T20 cricket tournament at the 2028 Olympics, according to a story in the Guardian.

According to the Guardian report, the ICC has implemented a regional qualification system that complies with the guidelines set forth by the International Olympic Committee.

There will be representatives from all five continents: Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. According to their current T20I rankings, South Africa (Africa), Australia (Oceania), India (Asia), and Great Britain (Europe) would be eligible as continental representatives under this proposed pathway, while the USA (Americas) would automatically be admitted as hosts.

Australia, the top side in Oceania, is placed second in the men's T20I rankings, while New Zealand is now ranked fourth. If qualifying were based on current rankings, teams like Pakistan (8th) would also lose out to top-ranked India for the Asian spot.

The report claims that although the proposed qualification system is still pending ICC endorsement, Pakistan and New Zealand have both voiced their disapproval of it.

Qualification for the women's tournament, however, will be determined through the T20 World Cup next year.

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