Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Asian Games Cricket Facilities Draw Concerns Ahead of Japan Tournament
Cricket teams are worried about where they will stay and play at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
They can stay in a city and take a bullet train, live on a ship or use large tents.
Some teams think the rooms may not be big enough for two players, their cricket equipment and luggage.
The cricket ground is in Nisshin City and has a natural-grass pitch.
Reports say it does not yet have normal permanent changing rooms.
An international cricket official said the ground was almost ready but still needed work.
Organisers say the venue can meet international competition standards.
Cricket will be played in the T20 format, starting on September 17, before the Games' opening ceremony.
Officials from the Asian Cricket Council and an Indian cricket operations team are expected to check the facilities.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are reportedly unhappy with accommodation and venue arrangements for the 2026 Asian Games cricket competition.
Teams have been offered city hotels with bullet-train travel, a ship near the venue or marquee-style tents, with concerns about room sizes and luggage space.
The Nisshin City venue has a natural-grass pitch but reportedly lacks conventional permanent dressing rooms and still requires additional work.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the ground was nearly ready, while organisers said it meets international competition requirements.
The ACC and a BCCI operations official are expected to inspect the arrangements before T20 matches begin on September 17, 2026.
- Who
- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are among the concerned teams; the ACC, Asian Games organisers, BCCI and Indian Olympic Association are involved.
- What
- The suitability and readiness of accommodation and cricket facilities for the 2026 Asian Games are being questioned.
- When
- The cricket competition is scheduled to begin on September 17, 2026, two days before the official opening ceremony on September 19.
- Where
- The Games will be held in Japan, with cricket matches at a venue in Nisshin City; the concerns were discussed at an ACC meeting in Bangkok.
- Why
- Teams have questioned the unusual accommodation choices, room sizes, venue readiness and the ACC's reportedly delayed response.
Team and Cricket-Body Concerns
Organizer and Venue Reassurance
Accommodation suitability
Team and Cricket-Body Concerns
Leading teams reportedly find the city travel, ship and marquee-tent choices unconvincing, particularly because of room sizes and uncertainty about fitting two players with their kits and luggage.
Organizer and Venue Reassurance
Organisers have offered three accommodation options intended to house the participating teams and support staff.
Venue readiness
Team and Cricket-Body Concerns
Reports describe the Nisshin City ground as makeshift or incomplete, citing the lack of a proper permanent dressing room and continuing construction work.
Organizer and Venue Reassurance
Organisers say the natural-grass venue meets international competition requirements, and Sanjog Gupta described it as close to ready.
Inspection and response
Team and Cricket-Body Concerns
Some ACC members reportedly believe the council responded late, and the arrangements remain unresolved pending inspections by ACC and Indian officials.
Organizer and Venue Reassurance
The ACC has said it will send a team to Japan, while the venue has already hosted an ICC pathway tournament and is being assessed ahead of the Games.
- Competition
- 2026 Asian Games cricket tournament
- Format
- T20 cricket
- Participating teams
- 10 men's teams and eight women's teams
- Accommodation options
- City accommodation with bullet-train travel, a ship anchored near the venue or marquee-style tents
- Match venue
- A cricket ground in Nisshin City, Japan, with a natural-grass pitch
- Reported venue issue
- The ground reportedly lacks conventional permanent dressing rooms and still requires further work
- Key schedule
- Events begin September 17; the women's final is scheduled for September 22 and the men's gold-medal match for October 3
