Reports suggest that Pakistan's cricket team may not participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This is due to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) new regional qualification model for the men's T20 competition, which limits participation to six teams. The decision, which has reportedly been met with disappointment from Pakistan and New Zealand, is unlikely to be reversed, even though it hasn't yet been formally ratified by the ICC Board.

Cricket is set to make a comeback at the Olympics after a 128-year absence, with the men's and women's T20 tournaments scheduled from July 12 to July 29, 2028. The women's final will be held on July 20, and the men's gold medal match on July 29. The venue for the cricket matches will be a temporary, purpose-built structure at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, California, about 50 kilometers from Los Angeles.

The qualification model, discussed during the ICC's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore, adopts a regional format. One of the six spots is reserved for the host nation, the United States. The remaining five spots will likely go to the highest-ranked teams from each continent. This would mean that India (Asia), Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africa), and Great Britain (Europe) are expected to qualify directly.

With India expected to qualify as the top-ranked team in Asia, Pakistan, despite its stature in world cricket, would miss out on automatic qualification. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are also in danger of missing out. The regional model is backed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which believes it will ensure broader global representation and help promote cricket in new markets.

The ICC is yet to decide how the final berth will be awarded. There is speculation that the final spot could be given to a representative team from the Caribbean Islands, similar to the 2022 Commonwealth Games when Barbados represented the region.

The absence of Pakistan from the 2028 Olympics cricket event would also mean that there will be no India vs Pakistan match, which would have been a major draw for viewers, especially in India. The IOC has been aiming to attract the Indian viewership, and the timing of the men's cricket matches was expected to cater to the Indian audience.

Team Great Britain will be guaranteed a spot in the men's cricket tournament. The England and Wales Cricket Board has begun to set up a Great Britain team and is in advanced negotiations with Cricket Scotland about creating a new entity, GB Cricket, to manage the Olympic process. A memorandum of understanding with Cricket Ireland is also being worked on that would allow Northern Irish cricketers to be eligible for Team GB. Qualification for the Olympic women's tournament will be decided by the T20 World Cup next year.