6 days ago
Japan’s Cricket Venue Raises Costs of Global Expansion
Japan is preparing to host cricket at the Asian Games.
The cricket field was recently changed from a baseball ground.
Some cricket boards are unsure whether the new pitch will behave predictably.
Players may also have to share hotel rooms that are too small for their equipment.
Cricket teams carry many bats, pads, shoes and other gear.
The United States used special drop-in pitches and a temporary stadium for its 2024 tournament.
Japan is instead adapting an existing baseball facility.
The example shows that taking cricket to new countries requires more than scheduling matches.
Cricket boards have questioned the pitch and player accommodation for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
The Nisshin venue was converted from baseball and features a recently installed hybrid cricket surface.
Players may face shared hotel rooms with limited space for kitbags and support equipment.
The United States used temporary infrastructure and drop-in pitches for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Cricket’s expansion requires investment in pitches, groundskeeping, training areas, storage, broadcasting and team accommodation.
- Who
- Asian cricket boards, the Asian Cricket Council, tournament organizers and participating teams.
- What
- Concerns have emerged about the converted venue’s hybrid pitch and accommodation arrangements ahead of the Asian Games.
- Where
- Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, east of Nagoya, Japan.
- When
- Ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya; the venue was made cricket-ready in March and hosted a qualifier in May.
- Why
- Cricket is being hosted in a country without a mature permanent cricket-stadium network, requiring an existing baseball facility to be adapted.
Adapted Existing Infrastructure
Temporary Purpose-Built Infrastructure
Venue strategy
Adapted Existing Infrastructure
Japan is converting a former baseball facility into a cricket venue, reducing the need for permanent cricket-specific construction.
Temporary Purpose-Built Infrastructure
The United States used a temporary stadium and drop-in pitches prepared specifically for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Cost trade-off
Adapted Existing Infrastructure
Retrofitting existing facilities may reduce permanent capital spending, but it can create costs for testing, maintenance, specialist staff and venue changes.
Temporary Purpose-Built Infrastructure
Temporary infrastructure can be expensive, but it allows organizers to control cricket-specific facilities without permanently redesigning a host stadium.
Playing conditions
Adapted Existing Infrastructure
A newly installed hybrid square must establish predictable characteristics through sufficient competitive use and preparation.
Temporary Purpose-Built Infrastructure
Drop-in pitches allow preparation and control away from the stadium before installation, though they require specialized preparation, transport and maintenance.
Key facts
- Event
- Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya
- Venue
- Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, east of Nagoya
- Previous use
- The venue was a baseball ground until a few months before the tournament.
- Playing surface
- A hybrid surface consisting mostly of natural grass with polyethylene fibres.
- Japan testing
- The venue hosted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in May after becoming cricket-ready in March.
- United States model
- The 2024 T20 World Cup used a temporary stadium and drop-in pitches, including at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
- Main concern
- Whether the pitch is sufficiently tested to provide predictable playing characteristics, alongside adequate accommodation and facilities.
Sources
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