Cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will be contested in a temporary, purpose-built facility located at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California, the organising committee announced on Tuesday.
According to a press release issued by the Olympics organising committee, the Fairgrounds in Pomona, officially known as Fairplex, is a sprawling, nearly 500-acre event complex in Southern California that has been the home of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922. It also serves as a year-round venue for a variety of events, including concerts, trade shows, sports competitions, and cultural gatherings.
“We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games, and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen,” said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. “Los Angeles is the epicentre of sports, culture, and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans with the best possible experience.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has welcomed this announcement, as anticipation surrounding cricket’s return to the Olympic stage has been steadily growing since its confirmation after a hiatus of 128 years.
The sport’s last appearance at the Games was at Paris 1900, where a single, two-day match between Great Britain and France was held—now recognized as an unofficial Test match.
Both the men’s and women’s T20 competitions will feature six teams each, with a player quota of 90 allocated per gender, enabling each nation to field a squad of up to 15 players.
The complete tournament schedule will be finalized closer to the commencement of the Games.
“We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport’s return to the Olympics,” said ICC Chair Jay Shah.
“Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, its inclusion in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries and should appeal to new audiences.
“On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success there.”
Cricket’s return to the Olympics was officially confirmed in October 2023, alongside the inclusion of five other sports for the Los Angeles Games: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.
The T20 format has previously been part of multi-sport events, with both men’s and women’s competitions held at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014, and 2023. The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham featured a women’s T20 tournament.
