With less than three weeks to go before cricket begins at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, concerns have emerged over the facilities and pitch quality at the Korogi Sports Park, which will host the cricket matches.
The Nisshin Cricket Ground, a remodeled baseball facility, was completed in March this year. The venue has already hosted a few matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, but questions remain over whether it is ready to host an event of the scale of the Asian Games.
According to the ICC, the ground has a seating capacity of around 2,000 spectators.
India, Pakistan raise concerns over venue
According to a report in The Indian Express, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have raised concerns over the facilities available at the venue. The PCB is understood to have flagged the issue earlier this month.
Following a meeting involving the cricket boards of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is set to send representatives to Japan to inspect the venue and assess the facilities.
A source quoted by The Indian Express said the ground remains relatively basic and that there are concerns over the playing surface.
“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.”
The BCCI has also reportedly held discussions with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Asian Games Organising Committee after the concerns were raised.
Players’ accommodation also a concern
The venue is located around 20 kilometres from Nagoya, where cricketers, along with football and softball players, are expected to stay in hotels.
However, the size of the rooms has emerged as another concern. An official quoted in the report said the rooms may not have enough space to comfortably accommodate two players along with their luggage and cricket kitbags.
“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 organisers will now have to address both the venue and accommodation concerns before the cricket competition gets underway.
India name star-studded squads
India have selected strong squads for both the men’s and women’s cricket events at the Asian Games.
The squads include several established international names, with Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur among the players selected. Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also part of India’s plans for the Games.
With some of the biggest names in Indian cricket set to feature, the spotlight will be firmly on the facilities in Japan as the tournament approaches.
