Pakistan’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics should begin in earnest on Friday when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of three T20Is in Rawalpindi, with qualification for cricket’s return to the world’s biggest sporting spectacle presenting one of their most important challenges next year.

Surprisingly, the Olympic qualification process has received little attention despite the significance of cricket’s return to the Games after 128 years. The Los Angeles Olympics will be held from 14 to 30 July 2028, with six men’s and six women’s teams competing in the T20 format.

Four women’s teams — Australia, Great Britain (through England), India and South Africa — have already qualified, while their men’s counterparts are well placed to secure direct qualification through the ICC T20I Team Rankings.

The cut-off date for men’s direct qualification is 31 December 2026, with the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania progressing, provided they are among the world’s top 15. The United States can also qualify automatically as hosts if they meet the rankings requirement.

The remaining Olympic berth will be decided through an eight-team ICC Olympic Qualifier in 2027, with the participants determined by the rankings and eligibility criteria. The dates and venue have yet to be announced.

Pakistan are among the teams expected to contest that qualifier, where only the winner will secure the final place at Los Angeles 2028.

For a country that has won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup once, reached two finals and appeared in two semi-finals, qualification should be a major objective. Pakistan also enjoyed a remarkable run of nine consecutive T20I victories between July and November 2018, underlining their pedigree in the shortest format.

With that ambition in mind, Pakistan will begin a new chapter under Sahibzada Farhan when they face Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Friday. The first ball will be bowled at 6pm PKT, with the remaining matches scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday.

Farhan led Pakistan to the silver medal at the 20th Asian Games before being appointed T20I captain in place of Salman Ali Agha, who has also lost his place in the squad.

Head coach Mike Hesson, however, has retained his position, raising questions about the PCB’s accountability and decision-making. While Salman has paid the price for disappointing results, Hesson remains in charge despite sharing responsibility for Pakistan’s recent performances.

Pakistan have made several changes to the squad that lost the Asian Games final to India by 19 runs.

Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan have been recalled, while Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah have received their maiden T20I call-ups.

The squad appears stronger and more experienced than the one that travelled to Japan, although the composition of the playing XI will be particularly interesting.

Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub provide several options at the top of the order, while Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz are the specialist middle-order batters.

The spin department features Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim, while Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Randhawa and Razaullah will compete for the fast-bowling positions.

Khawaja Nafay is the only specialist wicketkeeper in the squad and is therefore expected to feature in the middle order.

Beyond selection, the nature of the pitches prepared for the series will be equally important.

The PCB has attracted criticism for preparing slow, turning surfaces aimed at securing immediate results rather than developing players capable of succeeding in different conditions.

Although such an approach can produce short-term victories, Pakistan’s recent struggles in Test cricket have demonstrated the limitations of prioritising results over long-term development.

The same principle applies to T20Is. If Pakistan are serious about qualifying for the Olympics, Farhan and Hesson must develop a side capable of adapting to different pitches, opponents and match situations.

Pakistan have won their last three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia, and despite their defeat to India in the Asian Games final, they remain sixth in the ICC rankings on 240 points, three behind South Africa and seven behind New Zealand.

Sri Lanka, ranked ninth on 221 points, offer Pakistan an opportunity to consolidate their position, although a series victory is unlikely to be sufficient to move them above South Africa.

Conversely, a series defeat would put pressure on Pakistan’s rankings position, with seventh-ranked West Indies only seven points behind.

Sri Lanka also arrive with something to prove after losing heavily to India in the Asian Games semi-finals before defeating Bangladesh to secure bronze. Their recent T20I series defeat to England adds another dimension, although several senior players were rested for the Asian Games.

With no further T20Is confirmed for Pakistan at this stage, the Sri Lanka series assumes greater importance than an ordinary bilateral assignment.

Unless additional international matches are arranged, the Pakistan Super League will provide the principal competitive preparation before the Olympic Qualifier.

Farhan and Hesson must therefore use these three matches to begin identifying their preferred combinations, defining individual roles and developing a clear tactical approach.

The immediate objective may be victory over Sri Lanka, but the bigger challenge is qualification for Los Angeles 2028.

For Pakistan, the road to the Olympics should begin in Rawalpindi on Friday.