IOC to take call on Afghanistan’s participation in Olympics, confirms ICC CEO Geoff Allardice

The International Olympic Council (IOC), holds the reins concerning Afghanistan’s involvement in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, not the International Cricket Council (ICC).

This stance was put forward by ICC’s CEO, Geoff Allardice, in response to the dilemma of Afghanistan’s female cricket players, who were forced into exile following the Taliban’s resurgence to power in 2021.

In October, the IOC consented to include T20 cricket, a highly popular sport amongst Commonwealth countries and younger audiences, in the LA28 Olympics. The decision was influenced by the sport’s potential for expanding into markets such as the U.S. The ICC had advised a six-team format across both male and female contests, a proposal that received the IOC’s approval.

By 2025, the LA28 and ICC aim to establish a competitive structure and the qualifying process for teams. The push for gender equality by the LA28 organisers is evident, given that the Olympics typically features participation from both men and women in individual and team sports.

However, Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team is currently non-operational. A significant majority of the team, 22 out of 25 contracted players, have moved abroad since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Notwithstanding, there remains a potential for the male team to partake in the event in 2028.

“In terms of the position of the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan, it’s probably something for the IOC to be able to address more accurately than me. But I know that they (IOC) have been following the progress or the developments there. Our position on cricket and supporting our member in Afghanistan is not dissimilar to those of other international sporting organizations,” Allardice told BBC.