Cricket is returning to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles after a 128-year absence. That’s big news for the sport—but for the West Indies, it’s complicated. The iconic team that turns 100 in 2028 might not even get to compete.
Why? Because the West Indies, as we know, isn’t an actual country. It’s a combined cricket team made up of 12 sovereign nations and multiple overseas territories—Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, and others. In the Olympic world, only countries with recognised National Olympic Committees (NOCs) can take part. Which means there’s technically no place for a “West Indies” team.
And this isn’t just theory. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Barbados competed on its own in the women’s T20 event. That was a preview of the Olympic challenge: if each country plays separately in multi-sport events, can a united West Indies team exist in the Olympic Games?
“There is currently no clear pathway for a West Indies cricket team to participate in the Olympics,” CWI president Kishore Shallow told AFP. “Cricket’s return to the Games in 2028 must not exclude our young cricketers from the same dream that has inspired our athletes.”
He added, “The Caribbean has always punched above its weight at the Olympics, inspiring the world with our athletic brilliance.”
Chris Dehring, project director of CWI’s T20 World Cup 2024, echoed that thought: “All we are asking is that our individual nations’ exceptional Olympic legacy be considered in the conversation.”
A possible solution could be holding an inter-Caribbean qualifier, where the top team gets to represent the region. But that’s still messy. The ICC hasn’t announced how Olympic qualification will work, and time is ticking. Even England could face a dilemma—do they play as Team GB, or does Scotland try to qualify separately?
It’s ironic. The West Indies—winners of two ODI World Cups, two T20 titles, and one Champions Trophy—may be sidelined at the very event that’s meant to grow cricket globally. On their 100th birthday, the team that once ruled the world may not get an invite to the biggest sporting celebration on the planet.
And that, frankly, would be heartbreaking.
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