International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and senior IOC officials this week during an LA 2028 International Federations seminar at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Accompanied by ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice, Shah discussed areas of collaboration between the ICC and IOC in preparation for the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This marked Shah’s first meeting with Bach, where they explored ways to integrate the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect into cricket.
Shah described the meeting as “productive” and highlighted the potential for cricket to engage with a global audience leading up to the Games. He noted, “The inclusion of cricket in the Olympic Games represents a watershed moment for our sport and a real opportunity for transformative growth for 2028 and beyond.”
Cricket is set to make a historic return to the Olympics in LA 2028, 128 years after its last appearance at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain claimed gold. The decision to include cricket, with T20 as the chosen format, was finalized during the 141st IOC session in Mumbai last October.
The reintroduction follows cricket’s successful stint at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where multi-nation T20 tournaments for both men and women were held. India secured gold in both categories, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh earning silver and bronze in the men’s competition, and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh doing the same in the women’s event.
Shah emphasized the ICC’s commitment to working closely with the IOC and LA 2028 over the next three and a half years to maximize cricket’s impact on the Olympic stage.