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Cricket will resume in Japan, where the 2026 Asian Games are set to take place in a month. Major Asian teams, including India and Pakistan, are preparing for the tournament, but concerns have arisen regarding the condition of the field, changing rooms, and athletes' accommodation before the start of the competition.

According to reports, the stadium where cricket matches will be held was previously used for baseball. Although the pitch was recently prepared for cricket, very few matches have been played on the hybrid pitch. Furthermore, hotel conditions have caused worry: some rooms are so small that players do not have enough space to stand if they unpack their sports bags.

The cricket matches within the Asian Games will take place in Nishin city, located near Nagoya, Japan, in about three weeks. Many renowned athletes from Asia will gather there. The men's Indian team, led by Shreyas Iyer, includes players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The women's Indian team, under Harmanpreet Kaur, will also participate in the tournament. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games is scheduled for September 19, and the cricket matches will begin on September 17. Nevertheless, leading cricket teams have already raised questions about the quality of the provided facilities before the events commence.

According to the Indian Express, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first raised these issues at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting about two weeks ago. Following discussions among ACC members, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, it was decided that the ACC would send representatives to assess the ground and athlete accommodation conditions.

One source reported that the field is at an initial level from a cricket perspective, and there are doubts about the quality of the pitch. The field was recently renovated, and apart from the May tournament, not many matches have been held there. Concern was also expressed regarding the lack of quality changing rooms.

The Asian Games cricket matches will be held at Kōrogi Sports Park. This venue was originally built for baseball and was later adapted for cricket. The foundation for a baseball pitcher is still present on the field. This structure was prepared for cricket in March of this year. Temporary stands, capable of accommodating around 2000 spectators, are installed on the field. The hybrid pitch has a scoreboard, most of which consists of natural grass, but the surface also includes polyethylene fiber.

In May, a qualifying tournament for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier was held on this field. At that time, Edem Beers, Asian Games Operations Manager at Kōrogi Sports Park, told AFP that the pitch was expected to have high bounce. Additionally, September in Japan often sees a typhoon season, which could pose an additional challenge.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also contacted the organizers. After receiving feedback at the ACC meeting, the BCCI reached out to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Asian Games Organizing Committee. An IOA official noted that they have no role in the technical aspects of the sport and advised the BCCI to contact the organizing committee directly. Reports indicate that questions were sent to the Asian Games organizers via email, but no response has been received from them.

A second major issue raised by the cricket boards relates to player accommodation. Athletes will be housed in Nagoya, approximately 20 kilometers from the cricket ground. Unlike previous Asian Games, this Ichi-Nagoya format will not feature a traditional athletes' village. Instead, about 15,000 participants will be accommodated in three types of lodging: luxury cruise liners, game villas, and hotels. According to the Olympic Council of Asia, badminton, cricket, football, and softball players will stay in Nagoya hotels.

'No room to stand after unpacking luggage'

One official expressed concern over the size of the hotel rooms. He stated that the rooms are considered too small to accommodate two players along with their sports bags and other luggage. The official emphasized that this is a real problem: if a player unpacks their suitcase, there will not be enough space in the room to stand. Efforts are currently underway to resolve this issue.

Indian teams may travel to Nagoya on September 14 or 15. The women's cricket tournament begins on September 17, and the Indian women's team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will start its campaign against the host Japan. The Indian men's team will play its match on September 28, giving the team time to adapt to Japanese conditions.

The match between the Indian and Sri Lankan teams will take place on August 23rd (Sunday) at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) stadium in Colombo. The Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, leads the two-match series 1-0 and aims to completely dominate the hosts. In turn, the Sri Lankan team intends to level the score, making the series 1-1.

It was previously assumed that the home side might prepare a 'turning track' favorable to spinners in the Colombo match. However, Sri Lanka is showing a departure from this tactic. The team management fears that a pitch overly geared towards spin could turn against them. Therefore, the option of preparing a balanced pitch, similar to what was seen in the Galle match, is now being considered.

India won the first match in Galle by 165 runs, gaining a 1-0 advantage in the series. This match lasted until the fifth day, and the pitch did not pose problems for the batsmen, although natural wear on the wicket was inevitable over time.

The main concern for the Sri Lankan team relates to the weakening of their batting lineup. Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis will be unable to participate in the second match, and Pathum Nissanka is also away from the cricket field. Without the participation of three experienced batsmen, the team will have to rely more on younger players.

An official from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) informed PTI that they are currently considering preparing a balanced pitch, like the one in Galle. He also noted that Sri Lanka does not have experienced players like Chandimal, Kusal, and Nissanka, and they need to give young batsmen a chance.

Nevertheless, the final decision will be made taking into account the requirements of the Sri Lankan team. Since Sri Lanka needs a win to level the series at 1-1, the team management will prioritize a lineup that gives them the best chance of winning.

The history of the Singhalese Sports Club also shows the dominance of the home team. Between 1999 and 2009, Sri Lanka played 12 Test matches here and lost none. Six of these matches ended in a victory, and six in a draw. In that era, batsmen like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene could score big runs, exhausting the opposing bowlers, after which spin attacks led by Muttiah Muralitharan would come into play.

However, the situation changed after these legends departed. In the following decade, Sri Lanka played seven matches at this venue, winning only three and losing four. Thus, the team's dominance on the field, which lasted a decade, came to an end. After the era of great players at SSC, India, England, and Pakistan achieved success against Sri Lanka. Here, India and Pakistan scored over 400 runs twice in the first innings against the hosts.

In recent years, Sri Lanka's victories on this ground were against South Africa (2018), Australia (2016), and Bangladesh (2025). Conversely, the hosts' strong attacking teams have faced difficulties.

The old character of the Singhalese Sports Club pitch also favored batsmen. If a balanced wicket is provided again in the second match, the toss and the first innings score could become extremely important. The team that bats first will be in a position of pressure on the opponent by scoring a large total.

Within the Asian Games, the match between India and Pakistan, considered one of the world's largest sporting events, will not take place in the early stages of the tournament. Both teams are among the two strongest seeded teams in the men's cricket tournament and have been placed in different quarter-finals according to the tournament bracket.

According to a report by 'Cricbuzz', if both teams advance, their confrontation can only happen in the medal match. If both teams win their semi-finals, they will meet in the final for the gold medal. A clash is also possible in the bronze medal match if one or both teams lose in the semi-final and enter the third-place game.

Nevertheless, the meeting between the two teams is not guaranteed; there is a possibility that India and Pakistan will follow different paths and finish their participation without meeting.

The men's Indian team received a direct spot in the quarter-finals along with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Six other teams, including Afghanistan, must go through the group stage. India will play in Quarter-final 2, and Pakistan in Quarter-final 1. Both these matches are scheduled for September 28, and their opponents will be determined after the group stage.

The semi-final games are scheduled for October 1: the winner of Quarter-final 2 (likely India) will meet the winner of Quarter-final 3, and the winner of Quarter-final 1 (likely Pakistan) will play against the winner of Quarter-final 4. Consequently, the traditional rivals can only meet in the gold medal match or in the third-place playoff, which will take place on October 3.

In addition to Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman will participate in the group stage.

The format for the women's cricket tournament is also similar: the Indian and Pakistani teams will not meet in the initial stages. Their confrontation will only be possible if the tournament results lead them to the medal matches. India is a top-seeded team, while Pakistan ranks fourth after Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, the draw dictates that the Indian team will play Japan in the quarter-finals, and if it advances to the semi-finals, it will meet Bangladesh or Hong Kong/China.

Pakistan, in turn, will play Thailand in the quarter-finals, and if it advances, it may meet Sri Lanka or Malaysia. Thus, a potential meeting between India and Pakistan can only occur in the final or in the bronze playoff, scheduled for September 22.

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya will take place from September 19 to October 4. However, the cricket events will start earlier, on September 17, and last until October 3. Women's matches will begin first, and the women's final will be held on September 22, after which the men's tournament will commence.

Ten teams will participate in the men's cricket. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka received direct spots in the quarter-finals, while the remaining six teams, including Afghanistan, will have to go through the group stage. This means that the traditional rivals can only meet in the gold medal match or in the bronze playoff on October 3.

All cricket matches will be held at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya in T20 format. India has already announced its squad under the guidance of Shreyas Iyer and Harmanpreet Kaur.