New Delhi: With only a few weeks left until the start of the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Japan, several cricket boards, including the and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), have raised concerns over the quality of the cricket pitch and the other facilities at the venue.
The Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin will host the cricket matches during the Asian Games 2026.
The Korogi Sports Park was initially a baseball facility which has been remodelled to host cricket matches at the Asian Games 2026. It was made cricket-ready earlier this year, and the ground’s hybrid pitch consists of natural grass and polyethene fibres embedded in the surface.
The ground has temporary stands which can accommodate around 2000 fans. However, there are no proper dressing rooms at the venue. As per a report in the Indian Express, the Indian and Pakistan cricket boards have raised concerns over the quality of the pitch and the facilities at the venue.
According to the report, PCB was the first to flag the issues at an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting earlier this month. The ACC has decided to send its representatives for a recce of the venue after discussions with the cricket boards of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, among others.
“It is a very rudimentary ground, and there remains a question mark over the quality of the pitch. It has been laid very recently and, apart from one tournament, that too in May, hasn’t been tested much. There are no proper dressing rooms as well,” a source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
As per the report, BCCI approached the Indian Olympic Association and the Asian Games organising committee after the ACC meeting. However, IOA officials advised the BCCI to approach the organising committee as they don’t have a role in technical aspects of a sport.
The Karogi Park hosted matches during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in May this year. However, the cricket boards have expressed concerns that the pitch at the venue hasn’t been used much. The women’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 will get underway on September 17, while the men’s cricket competition will get underway on September 24.
Questions raised over quality of accommodation
As per the report, the cricket boards have also expressed concerns over the quality of accommodation for the players at the Asian Games 2026. The cricket teams will be allotted hotels in Nagoya, as per the Olympic Council of Asia. However, the boards have complained that the room sizes are “too small”.
As per an official, the size of the rooms are so small that two people might find it difficult to share. “It is a genuine problem, since the rooms are very tiny. If one player opens a kitbag, there won’t be much space left to stand. We are trying to figure out a solution to this problem,” the official was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.