New Delhi [India], September 4 (ANI): Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the preparedness of cricket infrastructure for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, highlighting issues over pitch high quality, participant security and lodging preparations.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, the previous India opener pointed to the challenges confronted in making ready cricket infrastructure in nations the place the game continues to be creating.
Notably, the Asian Games 2026 will likely be hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4 and India’s males’s and ladies’s groups are additionally going to characteristic.
Chopra mentioned that there’s renewed controversy surrounding the Asian Games, just like what was seen throughout the earlier version. He identified that nations comparable to China and Japan have wonderful sports activities infrastructure, however lack comparable services for cricket. According to him, these nations have additionally been gradual to acknowledge cricket’s rising significance, and by the point they do, establishing the game at a excessive stage turns into a difficult process.
‘There is a unique type of uproar surrounding the Asian Games. We noticed the identical factor final time as nicely. Whether it is China or Japan, these nations have every kind of top-quality infrastructure, however not relating to cricket. They are additionally gradual to get up to cricket. By the time they do, they understand that constructing the required infrastructure is a really troublesome job,’ Chopra mentioned.
Chopra mentioned that though efforts are made to organize cricket services, the pitches typically stay insufficient. He warned that poor-quality surfaces can change into harmful when confronted with quick bowling, placing gamers’ security in danger.
‘They have tried, however we noticed the identical factor final time as nicely. If a top-flight bowler bowls quick, the pitches merely aren’t prepared. They can truly be harmful to play on, and you’re feeling that the protection of your personal gamers is at stake. They put together the bottom however are unable to organize the sq., the place no cricket would have been performed. So, you should not be stunned if it turns into harmful,’ Chopra mentioned within the video.
Chopra additional mentioned that cricket requires specialised services and lodging requirements that aren’t at the moment in place. He famous that shared rooms, cruise ships or transformed containers could not present the privateness and luxury cricketers are accustomed to when enjoying internationally.
‘The second downside is that there most likely is not sufficient understanding that cricket is a unique type of sport. The services required to carry out on the highest stage merely aren’t prepared. They say they cannot present motels, that two individuals should keep in a single room, and that they’re utilizing cruise ships or transformed containers as motels. This will not be how cricket is performed,’ he mentioned.
‘You can name it barely elitist or classist and query why it is not acceptable for them when it’s acceptable for everybody else. You could have some extent, however the actuality is that cricket will not be performed that means. When you journey around the globe to play cricket, you get a single room to remain in. You get your privateness, and that’s what gamers are accustomed to,’ Chopra added. (ANI)