A significant step has been taken toward the formation of a Great Britain cricket team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with players from England, Scotland, and potentially Northern Ireland set to compete in both the men’s and women’s campaigns. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Scotland are close to ratifying the new entity, GB Cricket, which would mark the men’s team’s de facto defence of their Olympic title—one they won in Paris in 1900, the last time cricket was featured in the Olympics.
The new structure of GB Cricket will be governed by a board consisting of both executive and non-executive members from the ECB and Cricket Scotland. Furthermore, an MOU will be established with Cricket Ireland, giving players from Northern Ireland the opportunity to participate in the Games. While Cricket Ireland represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it’s unlikely that its players would compete for GB Cricket, though Northern Irish players like Paul Stirling, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, and Amy Hunter could still be eligible.
GB Cricket is expected to be formally established in the coming months and will then require recognition from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the British Olympic Association (BOA) before it can join the National Olympic Committee (NOC) as a full member. An agreement in principle with the ICC has already been confirmed by an ECB spokesperson.
While the qualification process for the six-team Olympic tournament remains uncertain, it’s agreed that the England men’s and women’s teams will serve as the qualification vehicle for Team GB, with Scotland and Northern Ireland players available once the team qualifies.
The prospect of competing in the Olympics is already on the radar of England’s new white-ball captain, Harry Brook, who reflected, “It would be pretty cool to play in the Olympics and win a gold medal, but it’s so far away, and I haven’t thought about it yet.
