ICC approve qualification path for LA Games, Australia & New Zealand ‌vying for one spot

[p]One team from each of the ‌five continents will be picked based on the ‌International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings at a cut-off date on December 31st, 2026, according to a note distributed among the ‌National Olympic Committees and the international ⁠federations.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a] ‌will vie for the one spot from Oceania, while ​the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/Oh5eIakL/"]USA[/a] will carry the flag for the Americas provided it does not slip out ​of the top 15 in the ICC rankings.[/b][/p][p]The sixth team ​will come from a global qualifier featuring the next eight highest-ranked teams, who have not yet qualified. The ​mix will include [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-indies/jTD1lMfO/"]West Indies[/a] - a composite ICC member representing multiple Caribbean nations but not recognised as a National Olympic Committee ⁠by the IOC.[/p][p][b]"If the West ​Indies is ranked among the eight highest-ranked teams not yet qualified, the ICC shall organise a West Indies Nations Regional Tournament to determine which NOC will represent the region at the ‌final global Olympic qualification tournament,"[/b] the IOC said in a statement on Monday.[/p][p]They will then join seven other teams - the highest-ranked sides not already qualified - in a global qualifier, with the winner completing the six-team competition at Los Angeles.[/p][p][b]England's ranking has been used to pick Britain.[/b][/p][embed guid="87237d46-a35d-4759-99d5-d41dc129668f" url="https://x.com/iocmedia/status/2071513005527822679" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Women's competition to also feature six teams[/h2][p]The women's competition will also feature six teams. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OdGMnbwf/"]Australia[/a], Britain, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/A52vg00Q/"]South Africa[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/pC4Vpx86/"]India[/a] have secured spots by virtue of being the four best-performing continental teams in the ongoing World Cup.[/p][p]Neither the USA nor any team ​from the Americas features in the ICC's top 15. ‌After the Champions Trophy next year, the unused host country's place will be awarded to the highest-ranked T20 team outside the four who have already qualified.[/p][p]As in the men's pathway, the Caribbean winner will enter an eight-team ⁠global qualifier, with the winner ⁠claiming the final spot ‌for LA 2028.[/p]