Multiple-Time Olympic Champion Usain Bolt Aspires to Play Cricket at LA 2028 Olympics

Beyond cricket, the 2028 LA Olympics will introduce flag football and squash as debut sports, alongside the return of lacrosse and baseball/softball.

Multiple-Time Olympic Champion Usain Bolt Aspires to Play Cricket at LA 2028 Olympics

Usain Bolt is willing to represent Jamaica in cricket at the 2028 LA Olympics. (via India Today)

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Jamaican icon Usain Bolt, has announced his desire to return to professional sport by playing cricket for his nation at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Bolt is eager to represent Jamaica in a new discipline, as cricket will be part of the Olympic Games for the first time in 128 years.

Cricket was first played at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, featuring a two-day match contested by two clubs. The only competitors were winners Great Britain, represented by Devon County Wanderers, and France, represented by the French Athletic Club Union. Following the ICC’s support for USA Cricket’s proposal to include the sport in the LA Olympics, cricket is now set for its official return in 2028.

With the West Indies cricket team set to participate as separate national teams, Jamaica, being one of the member sides, has found a new player in the form of an Olympic veteran. The retired Jamaican sprinter, Usian Bolt, who is recognized as one of the greatest track and field athletes ever, has expressed his aspiration to play cricket in the Olympics, scheduled to take place from July 12 to 29, 2028.

The 39-year-old has always been open about his love for cricket, having once aspired to be a fast bowler. In fact, Bolt’s athletic career actually began on a cricket pitch in high school, until his coach noticed his extraordinary speed during his run-ups and encouraged him to switch to track and field. Despite the career change, he has maintained his connection to the sport by playing exhibition matches and was named the official Ambassador for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

In a recent interaction with Esquire, Usain Bolt humorously offered his services to the Jamaican cricket team, stating his readiness to join them for the 2028 LA Olympics if called upon. The 39-year-old, who confirmed he is ‘happily’ retired, said he would be prepared for a comeback to cricket.

In an interview last year, Bolt had also shared that his father was a huge fan of cricket and that Bolt himself would have pursued a cricketing career, if he had not succeeded in track and field. He told Esquire:

I am happily retired from professional sport. I haven’t played cricket in a long time, but if [Jamaican cricket] they call, I will be ready!

Since retiring, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist also spent over a year trying out football in 2017. Although he did not secure a professional contract, Usain Bolt’s trials with clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Central Coast Mariners garnered considerable fanfare.

Cricket at the 2028 LA Olympics: Format, teams, qualification and venues explained

With cricket scheduled for its much-anticipated return to the Summer Olympics at the 2028 games in Los Angeles, it is essential to examine the competition’s format, the qualifying teams, and the process for qualification. The matches are slated to commence on June 12, 2028.

Cricket at 2028 LA Olympics
Cricket will return to the 2028 LA Olympics, after a 128-year gap. (via India Today)

Cricket at the LA Olympics will feature the T20 format, with six teams competing in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Each country will be permitted to select a 15-player squad. Regarding venues, it has been confirmed that matches will take place at a temporary venue at Fairplex in Pomona, California, which will be designed to resemble the Nassau County Stadium used for the 2024 T20 WC in the USA.

ICC officials have indicated the qualification will likely be location-based, aiming for one team from each of the five continental Olympic Rings. The ICC T20I Team Rankings will be used to determine which teams advance to the final stages. Based on this, the likely qualifiers for 2028 include India (Asia), Great Britain (Europe), South Africa (Africa), Australia/New Zealand (Oceania), and the USA (as hosts).

Furthermore, talks are in progress for the formation of a Great Britain Olympic cricket team, which would include players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. One the other hand, the West Indies may be required to compete as separate nations.

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