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The West Indies represent a group of countries and territories in the Caribbean (Photo by RANDY … More BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
A regional competition in the Caribbean is expected next year to determine which nation will represent the West Indies at a global qualifier set to feature eight teams battling for the final men’s cricket spot at the Los Angeles Olympics.
A group of mostly British Commonwealth countries and territories in the Caribbean region come together and compete as the West Indies, who are administered by a single governing body, but only sovereign nations are allowed at the Olympics.
The West Indies issue has been a conundrum ever since it was announced that cricket would make its long-awaited Olympic return having only previously been part of the 1900 Games.
The qualifying process for cricket’s six-team men’s and women’s T20 competitions has become clearer after the International Cricket Council’s annual conference in Singapore.
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The ICC has yet to make any announcements but, as I first reported, regional rankings are set to mostly decide which teams make the cut for the men’s competition played from July 12-29 in Pomona, 30 miles east of Los Angeles.
The top ranked team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will automatically qualify at a cut-off date alongside host U.S, who would represent the Americas. The final spot will be determined by a single global qualifier likely to be held in 2027 and feature the highest ranked eight teams who did not automatically qualify.
India are the reigning T20 World Cup champions (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
If the cut-off date was right now then India, Australia, England (who along with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland compete as Great Britain in the Olympics), South Africa and U.S. would automatically qualify.
The qualifier would comprise: New Zealand, nation from West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Allocation via the ICC’s T20 rankings at a cut-off date had been deemed as the likely outcome, but a compromise was reached after a groundswell of support for qualifiers as I reported last week.
The Caribbean regional competition will need to be held at some stage next year, well before the global qualifier.
“We have established our Olympics committee, who will be responsible for advising the board how many countries will play in the regional qualifier,” Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow told me during an interview in Singapore.
“We welcome it, we embrace it. We’re going to try our best to see how we can use this exposure, this platform, to incentivize all our stakeholders.
“Hopefully this pathway to the Olympics is going to get greater investment from governments and corporates because the Olympic qualifier is a global event.
“There will be more national interest and could also mean more commitment from players to play for their countries.”
The West Indies are two-time T20 World Cup champions (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) … More
AFP via Getty Images
Regional qualifiers to determine the limited number of Olympic spots had been the preference of smaller nations, but costs and logistics amid cricket’s cramped schedule made that not practical.
But the single qualifier is hoped to showcase the type of drama and spectacle that exists in rival sports such as basketball and its truncated game of 3×3. Cricket has not been made a permanent Olympic sport and the Los Angeles Games is seen as something of a trial run.
Cricket is tipped to be included for Brisbane 2032, with Australia being a powerhouse in the sport. But more teams, perhaps 12 per gender, will be hoped for Brisbane which could open the door for a combination of rankings and regional qualifiers.
The T20 World Cup is set to determine the women’s Olympic spots, but it is not yet known whether the U.S. – who have never qualified for a World Cup – will receive an automatic spot.
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