In a monumental stride for global cricket, the LA28 Organising Committee has unveiled the venue for the sport’s long-awaited Olympic comeback: a purpose-built temporary stadium at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California.
The cricket competition at the 2028 Olympic Games will feature both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments, each comprising six teams. With 90 athlete quotas allocated for the sport—15 players per squad—the stage is set for high-octane action that’s bound to captivate not only existing fans but also new audiences across the globe.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm by cricket’s global governing body. Introducing the reaction of ICC Chair Jay Shah, who expressed the significance of this development, “We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport’s return to the Olympics.”
This isn’t the first time a temporary build will be used to host a high-profile cricket event in the United States. During the Men’s 2024 T20 World Cup, a pop-up stadium was constructed in New York for marquee matches such as the India vs. Pakistan clash. Venues like Central Broward Stadium in Florida and Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas also played key roles. These efforts laid the groundwork for what is poised to be an even grander spectacle in LA.
Located around 50km (or 35 miles) east of Los Angeles, this historic 500-acre complex—officially known as Fairplex—has been home to the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922. Now, it will serve as the epicenter of cricket’s re-entry into the Olympic spotlight after a staggering 128-year hiatus.
With cricket’s T20 format being selected for the Games, the fast-paced and entertaining nature of the version is expected to resonate deeply with Olympic audiences.
Jay Shah further emphasized the opportunity this presents, saying, “Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, it will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences.”
Cricket’s Olympic journey began in Paris in 1900, where just two teams—Great Britain and France—competed in what is now regarded as an unofficial Test match. Great Britain triumphed, clinching cricket’s only Olympic gold to date. Fast forward over a century, and the sport is now returning not merely as a nostalgic nod but as a global contest reflecting its evolution.
Recent achievements in multi-sport events have only added momentum to cricket’s Olympic narrative. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, women’s cricket made a compelling debut, with Australia taking gold and India claiming silver. A year later, India’s women’s team went one step further by winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou—cementing their growing stature on the global stage.
The revival of cricket in the Olympics is no overnight feat. The International Cricket Council launched its formal bid for Olympic inclusion in August 2021, intensifying efforts through an official proposal submitted in October 2023. This collaborative mission with the LA28 Organising Committee highlighted a unified vision: that cricket, with its global appeal, belongs at the Olympics.
Sharing his gratitude and long-term vision, Shah said, “On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success there.”
Cricket will be one of five new sports featured at LA28, joining baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash. With New Zealand reigning as the women’s T20 world champions and other nations chasing closely behind, the standard of cricket is expected to be elite and exhilarating.
Looking ahead, there’s already speculation that cricket will continue its Olympic journey beyond LA28. For the 2032 Brisbane Games, the sport is likely to remain a part of the Olympic programme, with plans for the finals to be held at the Gabba—just before its scheduled demolition.
In Pomona, a fresh chapter in cricket’s history will be written. What once seemed like a dream is now becoming a centerpiece of one of the world’s grandest sporting events. The pitch is set. The players are ready. Cricket is finally coming home—to the Olympic Games.
(Quotes sourced from the ICC)
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