New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Indian men’s team will need to be Asia’s highest-ranked in the ICC T20 rankings at the end of 2026 to gain automatic qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics while early slots among women will go to the continental top four from the ongoing World Cup in England.
The qualification criteria was unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday. Cricket is returning to the Olympics after 100 years and will feature six teams each in men’s and women’s competitions.
The process hinges on rankings for men to filter four quota slots from different continents.
“These will be allocated to the highest-ranked eligible NOCs (National Olympic Committees) continentally (i.e. the top ranked NOCs from different continents), taken from the ICC Men’s T20 Team Rankings, resulting in four teams in total,” the ICC stated.
The cut-off date has been kept at December 31, 2026.
For women, four quota places will be allocated to the highest-placed eligible NOCs taken continentally at the T20 World Cup “resulting in four teams in total (i.e. the top standing NOC from different continents at the conclusion of the competition).” “Each eligible team will obtain one quota place for its NOC.” As per this criteria, Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africas) and England (Europe) seem to have grabbed the early slots after qualifying for the semifinals.
“As Great Britain takes part in the Olympics, only one British nation, England, will be considered as part of the quotas,” the ICC stated.
The West Indies is also in the ongoing World Cup’s semifinal, placing it among the top four. India’s fate would be known after the final standings of the tournament are completed.
However, as a composite ICC member representing multiple Caribbean nations and not recognised as an IOC NOC, it is ineligible to participate in the Olympic Games or to obtain a quota place as one entity.
West Indies comprises the NOCs of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands, which do not compete individually in ICC events. The host country, USA, is guaranteed one quota place each in the men’s and women’s competition on the basis that the they have “satisfied the ICC criteria of appearing on a ranking of 15 or better in the Rankings during the qualification period.” In addition, the Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOGQT) will be held separately for both genders, dates for which are yet to be finalised.
The next eight highest-ranked eligible teams, which have not yet qualified based on rankings, will fight it out for one slot each in the men’s and women’s competition.
In case the West Indies is ranked among the eight highest-ranked teams not yet qualified, the ICC will organise a West Indies Nations Regional Tournament to determine which NOC will represent the region at the Final Qualifier.
No maximum limit on continental representation applies to the final qualifier. PTI PM PM APA APA
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