Cricket's Olympic places decided by continents and play-offs

Cricket is returning to the Olympics after 128 years

Qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 will be decided based on continents and play-off matches, rather than the top six-ranked sides, says England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Thompson.

Cricket is returning to the Games for the first time in 128 years and will be played as a six-team T20 tournament.

Thompson said that the qualification process had not been finalised but that it would be decided geographically rather than by rankings.

"We are there by invitation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and you abide by their rules," Thompson told BBC Test Match Special.

"It is still being finalised but the IOC's preference is to work to the five-ring principle, with teams from each of the continents - so Europe would be between Ireland and Great Britain. We would unite with Scotland and create Team GB.

"It would throw up the opportunity, if you took the principle that USA would play as the host country, and that would free up one additional slot for every other full country to have a play-off match to enable one of them to qualify."

Thompson also expressed an ambition for more than six teams to take part, with the 2032 Games to be played in Brisbane and likely a three-way tussle for 2036 between Qatar, Saudi and India - with the hope that the latter would see cricket at the "front and centre".

He also said that talks are still ongoing regarding the opportunity for cricket in the Paralympics, but believes that its inclusion in the Games will "globalise" the sport.

"At the moment we are a very significant international game, but once you're at the Olympics you become a global game.

"China will only focus on sport that is in the Olympics, they will look to Hong Kong to be their outpost for cricket.

"The opportunity to grow the game globally is very, very real and it starts now and we'll certainly see that play out in 2028."

The matches, featuring both men's and women's teams, will begin on 12 July - two days before the opening ceremony - with all matches staged at a venue which will be constructed at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.

There will be two games played daily at Pomona - located 30 miles from the athletes' village in Los Angeles - starting at 09:00 and 18:30 Pacific Daylight Time.

Those matches will be shown at 21:30 and 07:00 India Standard Time (17:00 and 02:30 British Summer Time).