Japan Cricket CEO responds to India, Pakistan concerns over Asian Games arrangements, says teams can arrange own accommodation
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Japan Cricket CEO responds to India, Pakistan concerns over Asian Games arrangements, says teams can arrange own accommodation originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji clarified that participating nations are free to arrange their own accommodation.
- This declaration comes after several major cricketing nations such as India and Pakistan complained about the arrangements.
- Organisers defended the makeshift facility in Nisshin City, citing a limited window for preparing everything.
The Japan Cricket CEO stands by his organisers and curators
Cricket’s return to the Asian Games has hit an immediate administrative snag before a single ball is bowled in Aichi-Nagoya. Reports of 20-kilometre daily commutes, temporary dressing rooms, and alleged 500-metre treks to player washrooms have drawn complaints from major Asian boards.
This in turn has forced Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji to remind touring contingents that they are free to foot the bill for their own hotels if the official arrangements fall short.
The complaints highlight an immediate friction between the expectations of wealthy cricket boards and the reality of a multi-sport event hosted in a non-traditional cricket nation.
With the tournament scheduled to begin on September 17 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin City, organisers are operating under strict facility constraints in a prefecture that possessed no established cricket infrastructure prior to being awarded the games.
JCA defends 17-month venue build and makeshift infrastructure
Miyaji stressed that the event is being driven primarily by the Aichi-Nagoya Games Organising Committee alongside the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). While acknowledging the logistical compromises, he insisted that playing conditions will not be sacrificed despite the rushed preparation period.
The core of the logistical challenge lies in the venue itself. Aichi Prefecture had no regulation cricket ground, forcing organisers to convert space at Korogi Sports Park from scratch within a tight 17-month timeframe.
To ensure the playing surface meets international standards, Sri Lanka Cricket dispatched professional curators to construct and manage full-sized turf and hybrid pitches. Addressing rumours surrounding player amenities, Miyaji dismissed reports that athletes would face a half-kilometre walk to reach restrooms.
He confirmed that both temporary and permanent facilities will operate within the immediate player area while defending the reliance on modular dressing rooms.
"The facilities on the ground are temporary, but AINAGOC has worked very closely with the ACC for over a year now to ensure that the best facilities are provided within the limited timeline," Miyaji stated, adding that other sports at the Games are being housed in container hotels or cruise ships.
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Distance, logistics, and the reality of non-cricket host nations
The 20-kilometre gap between the designated hotel and the match venue remains the primary point of contention for visiting teams. For squads accustomed to short, security-escorted transfers directly to premier stadiums, commuting through Nagoya’s metropolitan traffic presents a clear disruption to matchday routines.
Miyaji’s response effectively pushes the burden back onto national boards like the BCCI and PCB. If visiting teams want five-star proximity to an improvised ground in Nisshin City, they will need to source and fund private arrangements themselves.
Despite the off-field friction, the JCA has used the build-up to run promotional clinics in local schools and shopping centres. The tournament marks the first time senior international cricket teams will play on Japanese soil, giving the event significant promotional value for the sport’s local footprint regardless of venue limitations.
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The financial gap between full member nations and associate members remains stark
The outrage over 20-kilometre drives and modular changing rooms says far more about the insular luxury of modern international cricket than it does about Japan's capacity to host. Expecting purpose-built, five-star stadium infrastructure in a region developing its first regulation pitch in 17 months is fundamentally unrealistic.
Multi-sport events like the Asian Games routinely require athletes across disciplines to adapt to temporary facilities and shared logistical hubs. If Sri Lanka Cricket's curators deliver a true, consistent surface, minor inconveniences in the dressing room become completely secondary.
On the other hand, if full-member boards find a 20-minute bus ride or a prefabricated dugout untenable, they have the financial resources to book their own accommodations.
Complaining about minor amenity trade-offs in an expansion market misses the broader picture: establishing cricket in non-traditional territories requires functional flexibility, not entitlement.
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