CWI urges ICC for 'fair and transparent' pathway to LA28 Olympics

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to establish a fair and transparent pathway that would allow at least one sovereign Caribbean nation to represent the region at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

The Caribbean island nations traditionally compete under the unified West Indies banner and fall under the administration of one cricket board CWI. Only sovereign nations are eligible to participate in the Olympic Games.

There are six teams set to compete in both the men's and women's T20 cricket events at the 2028 Olympics, the region is seeking assurance that at least one of its sovereign states will have the opportunity to qualify to represent the Caribbean on the global stage.

"The Caribbean has always punched above its weight at the Olympics, inspiring the world with our athletic brilliance. Cricket's return to the Games in 2028 must not exclude our young cricketers from the same dream that has inspired our athletes. The Olympic Charter emphasizes fairness, transparency, and universality. We are simply asking that these principles be upheld - not just in spirit, but in structure. West Indies cricket must have a pathway, and fully deserves an opportunity to compete," CWI president Kishore Swallow said in a statement.

As per the current rankings cut-off, both the West Indies men's and women's teams will be able to qualify for the Olympics 2028. But, complications arise with the United States of America (USA) potentially receiving automatic qualification as the host nation, even though with their low ranking. If the USA is granted a direct entry, only five spots would remain for other teams to qualify. As of now, the ICC has not provided any official announcement regarding the qualification process for the Olympic event.

"Normally, the host country is one of the teams in the team sports, and then we look at a balance of global strength and regional representation, and try to find that balance within the available quota as well," said the International Olympic Committee’s sports director, Kit McConnell in October 2023.

The CWI has proposed that if ICC rankings are used for Olympic qualification and both the West Indies men's and women's teams meet the criteria, then an internal qualifying tournament should be held among the Olympic affiliated member countries within the Caribbean to determine which sovereign nation will represent the region.

On the other hand, the CWI has suggested a global qualifying pathway that would include associate ICC members from the five ICC Development Regions, along with sovereign member countries of the West Indies.

The CWI board has emphasised that the qualification process must be fair and transparent. They stressed that Caribbean cricketers should not be denied an opportunity to compete at the Olympics and expressed their willingness to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure a proper solution.

"Our nations have proudly flown their individual flags atop Olympic podiums as perennial gold medallists. Now, with cricket's inclusion, we must ensure that our cricketers are not shut out of history. We are ready to collaborate. We are ready to compete. But above all, we are asking for fairness," CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said.