• Notes lack of five-star accommodation
• Refutes conflict of interest claims 

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Schaffter says that there could be some concerns with regard to the quality of accommodation that is provided by Japan for cricket teams set to feature at the upcoming 20th Asian Games 2026 in Aich-Nagoya.

“We discussed this matter in some degree of detail at the recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Ex-Co meeting,” Schaffter told reporters at the SLC’s monthly media briefing in Colombo on Monday (31 August).

This was in response to a question posed whether the Transformation Committee has any concerns linked to questions raised on facilities provided for teams contesting cricket at the Games due to be held from 19 September to 4 October.

“There are some concerns, shall I say with regard to the quality of accommodation that is being provided, and also with regard to the logistics that is being provided. The feedback is that the ground is pretty much ready and the dressing rooms and things will be in place well before the Games get underway.”

Schaffter stated that as it stands currently the member nations are in the process of making a physical visit to Japan for inspection of the match venue, and to satisfy themselves related to the facilities being up to scratch enabling cricket to go ahead.

“As of now, I am reasonably confident that the Asian Games will get underway sans any hitch,” opined the Transformation Committee Secretary.

When pressed further as to what precisely had been the concerns raised by certain countries, Schaffter opted to put things simplistically.

“Cricketers are generally provided five-star accommodation, single rooms etc. And in this particular case, what happens is because of the fact that it is not being held in the capital city, and which is held in a city, which I believe is quite some way from a commercial centre, there is a limited availability of star class hotels.”

He continued elaborating the situation “Obviously all of the athletes are going to be there, plus also the people who are coming to see the Games will be there, and therefore there is a lack of available five-star accommodation which has contributed to the concerns.”

This will be the fourth time that cricket will make an appearance in the Asian Games programme. Cricket matches for both Men and Women will be held between 17 September to 3 October in the T20I format at the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi. 

India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman, are set to feature in the Men’s segment while India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and China, are set to compete in the Women’s event.  

The sport, despite its popularity in Asia, has only featured in three of the 19 previous editions of the continental showpiece thus far.

The game made its debut as a medal event in the Asian Games at Guangzhou 2010, and returned at Incheon four years later, although the matches were not accorded international status.

However, once the sport returned to the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, after being axed from the programme at Jakarta 2018, all matches were granted international status by the International Cricket Council-the global controlling body for cricket.

The Asian Games 2026 will be a multi-sport event celebrated around the Aichi Prefecture in Japan, with the Prefecture capital Nagoya, being the epicenter of the events.

Meanwhile, the Transformation Committee Secretary maintained that he is neither a director, nor an employee or a shareholder of a certain insurance company, and refuted suggestions that there could be conflict of interest.

He made the above clarification when asked as to on what grounds the said insurance firm has taken over another insurance company which had previously been in charge of insurance related issues of SLC employees and players and whether it could lead to a conflict of interest.

“So far the transaction has not taken place,” Schaffter stressed. “Once the transaction takes place only then I may have a conflict of interest, depending on my role. Just to tell you, as of today, there is no conflict of interest. I have no involvement of whatsoever with the company which you refer to.”