Asian Games Cricket Faces Concerns Over Pitch and Player Accommodation 

Concerns have been raised over the venue and accommodation for Asian Games cricket, with several cricket boards questioning whether the facilities in Japan will be ready for the tournament next month. 

The cricket tournament will be held at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, a city near Nagoya. The venue was a baseball ground until recently and was converted for cricket ahead of the Asian Games. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board was the first to raise concerns during an Asian Cricket Council meeting earlier this month. Representatives from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan discussed the condition of the venue and accommodation. 

Following the meeting, the Asian Cricket Council decided to send a team to inspect the ground and the hotels where players will stay. 

The main concern is the cricket pitch, which was laid only recently. The surface has been tested in just one tournament, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier held at the venue in May. 

The ground has a hybrid pitch made mostly from natural grass, with polyethylene fibres added to the surface. The facility also has temporary seating for about 2,000 spectators and still retains a pitcher’s mound from its previous use as a baseball ground. 

The Asian Games cricket venue is expected to host some of the continent’s leading teams, making the condition of the playing surface an important issue. India are among the teams preparing to compete, with the women’s tournament scheduled to begin on September 17. 

Accommodation has also become a concern. Unlike previous Asian Games, the Aichi-Nagoya edition will not have a traditional athletes’ village. Around 15,000 participants will instead stay across hotels, Games Villas and a cruise liner. 

Cricketers and several other athletes will be accommodated at hotels in Nagoya, around 20 kilometres from the venue. Some officials have raised concerns that the hotel rooms may be too small for two players to comfortably keep their luggage and cricket kit. 

The Indian cricket teams are expected to travel to Nagoya around September 14 or 15. The women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will begin its campaign against hosts Japan. 

The men’s team is expected to play practice matches against club teams and Japan before entering the competition. India have received a bye to the quarterfinal stage, with the men’s tournament beginning on September 28. 

With the Asian Games approaching, organisers now face the task of addressing concerns surrounding the venue and accommodation before Asian Games cricket gets underway.