Japan Cricket Association has pushed back against concerns raised by India, Pakistan and other Asian cricket boards over facilities for the 2026 Asian Games, defending both the newly developed venue and accommodation arrangements while rejecting claims that players would have to walk hundreds of metres to access toilets.
Cricket at the Asian Games, scheduled from September 19 to October 4, will be played at the Nisshin Cricket Ground at Korogi Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture. The facility, converted from a baseball ground and completed only in March, has come under scrutiny after concerns over its relatively new pitches, temporary player facilities and hotel arrangements were discussed by members of the Asian Cricket Council.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan were among the boards involved in discussions over the arrangements, with the ACC expected to send representatives to Japan to inspect the venue and associated facilities.
Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji, however, said organisers had been working within unusually tight constraints after being given little more than a year to develop a cricket venue from scratch. “They only had 17 months to prepare and had to start from scratch as there were no Cricket venues of any standard in Aichi Prefecture. Considering the limited time and resources available, AINAGOC and ACC have worked together to ensure that the playing facilities are suitable,” Miyaji told PTI.
Japan backs Asian Games playing surface
Miyaji also defended the quality of the playing conditions, pointing to the work undertaken with assistance from Sri Lanka Cricket. “It will be a full-size ground with turf and hybrid pitches prepared by the best curators which Sri Lanka Cricket should be credited for providing. There are limits on what they can do within these tight limits, but from what I have seen, the playing surface and field will be the best seen in Cricket’s inclusion in the Asian Games,” he said.
Although the Nisshin venue has limited competitive history, it is not entirely untested. It staged matches during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier earlier this year, providing organisers with their first opportunity to assess the facility under international match conditions. Concerns from Asian boards have extended beyond the playing surface. Reports suggested dressing-room facilities could be temporary, while questions were also raised over the distance between the player areas and toilets.
Miyaji acknowledged that temporary infrastructure would form part of the arrangements but rejected suggestions that basic facilities would be inaccessible. Toilets, he said, would be provided within the player area, with temporary as well as permanent facilities available around the venue. Accommodation has emerged as another significant point of contention. Cricket teams are expected to stay in hotels in Nagoya, roughly 20km from the ground, and concerns have been raised over whether some rooms are large enough to accommodate two players along with the considerable luggage and kitbags carried by international cricketers.
Miyaji argued that cricket teams were not being treated unfavourably compared with athletes from other disciplines. “Many other sports are being accommodated in much more limited facilities, such as a cruise ship or container hotels. The teams are free to arrange their own accommodation if they choose to do so,” he said.
The accommodation pressure is not confined to cricket. Asian Games organisers have been dealing with entries exceeding their initial projections, forcing athletes and officials to be distributed across hotels, temporary accommodation and other facilities rather than a conventional central athletes’ village.
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Prakash Schaffter had earlier confirmed that the ACC discussed the cricket arrangements in detail and that representatives would examine the ground and logistics. While concerns remain over accommodation standards, Schaffter indicated that the cricket ground itself was considered suitable for matches. Japan’s latest response, therefore, addresses several of the specific complaints raised in recent days, but the matter is unlikely to be completely settled until the ACC’s inspection of the venue and accommodation arrangements is completed.