Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted a major concern at the forthcoming Asian Games, stating that the pitches in Japan are dangerous to play on for top-flight cricketers, as the country doesn’t have top-quality infrastructure when it comes to cricket.
Notably, the Asian Games 2026 will be hosted in Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that it takes some time for players to get settled on such surfaces.
“There is a different uproar going on about the Asian Games. We saw it last time as well. Whether it’s in China or Japan, these countries have all kinds of top-quality infrastructure, but not for cricket. They also wake up late for cricket. By the time they wake up, they realize that making it is a very difficult job,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“They have tried, but we saw last time as well that if a top-flight bowler bowls fast, the pitches aren’t ready at all. They are actually dangerous to play. You feel the safety of your own players is on the line. They prepare the ground but are unable to prepare the square, and no cricket would have been played on it. You shouldn’t be surprised at all if it becomes dangerous,” he added.
Further, Chopra reckoned that the current cricketers wouldn’t be used to staying in such accommodation facilities in Japan, highlighting privacy concerns during hotel stays.
“The second problem is that there probably isn’t enough realization that cricket is a different kind of sport. The facilities that are required just to perform at the highest level aren’t ready at all. They say they can’t provide hotels, two people will stay in a room, and that they are using cruise ships or converted containers as hotels. This is not how cricket actually happens,” he said.
“You can call it slightly elitist or classist, as to why it is not right for them when it is right for everyone else. You may have a point, but the truth is that cricket is not played like that. When you go to play cricket around the world, you get a single room to stay. You get your privacy, and you are used to that,” Chopra concluded.
