LA 2028 Cricket: California Venue Confirmed, New York Misses Out
Cricket Venue set for 2028 Olympics at Fairplex in los Angeles
Cricket will make its Olympic return at Fairplex in Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. The venue, which has previously hosted concerts for 40,000 to 60,000 people, features an existing grandstand built in 1932 that holds 8,000 spectators. Renovations are planned for the grandstand this year,but it remains uncertain whether they will be integrated into the stadium design.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), International Olympic Committee (IOC), and LA 2028 organizers collaborated on the venue selection. ultimately, LA 2028 organizers and the IOC had the final say. The choice of venue highlights the crucial role of these organizations in bringing cricket back to the Olympics.
ICC Chair Jay Shah expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with the IOC. He said he “looked forward to collaborating” with the IOC to make “cricket a huge success there.”
Shah added, “It will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences.”
The selection of a temporary venue has sparked concerns regarding the use of drop-in pitches. During the 2024 T20 World cup, a 34,000-seat pop-up stadium in New york featured drop-in pitches that faced intense scrutiny due to poor performance.
Cricket’s only prior Olympic appearance was at the Paris 1900 Games, where Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs in a single final after the Netherlands and belgium withdrew.
The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket scotland have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions about potentially fielding a TeamGB side.The ICC is expected to determine the qualification process for the Games.
What’s next
The ICC will determine the qualification process for the Games, and further stadium design plans for Fairplex are expected to be released.