Sano International Cricket Ground:<\/b> Japan\u2019s strategic leverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to build broader momentum around cricket serves as an important blueprint for emerging nations to convert major multi-sport events into long-term development opportunities, said Abhiram Singh Yadav, Chairman of Persatuan Cricket Indonesia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The remarks from Abhiram, who serves as one of the three Associate Members on the ICC Chief Executives\u2019 Committee (CEC), come after India retained their men\u2019s and women\u2019s cricket gold medals at the Korogi Sports Park. Pakistan secured the men\u2019s silver and women\u2019s bronze medals, while Sri Lanka claimed the women\u2019s silver and men\u2019s bronze medals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cCongratulations to India on an outstanding double gold, and to Pakistan and Sri Lanka on their medal-winning campaigns. The competition itself was important for cricket, but there are also lessons from what happened around the Games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJay Shah has consistently spoken about making cricket more inclusive and taking it to more countries. What deserves appreciation is that we are also seeing practical action around that vision,\u201d said Abhiram to IANS on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Before the Asian Games, Japan hosted men\u2019s T20 world champions India at the Sano International Cricket Ground, where the hosts came within two runs of causing a historic upset in a rain-curtailed five-over match. The landmark fixture drew a record-breaking crowd of 2,149 spectators - the highest attendance ever recorded for a cricket match in Japan, while tickets were sold out within hours of going on sale.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat is an important example. Global leadership helped create the connection, and Japan then converted that opportunity into something real. It is one thing to talk about taking cricket into new markets; it is another to create the circumstances in which it can actually happen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhat Japan did well was connect the pieces. The Asian Games, international cricket, facilities, sponsors, government relationships, media and community engagement were not treated as separate things. Together they created a bigger opportunity for the sport,\u201d added Abhiram.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He further stated that the responsibility to create such opportunities should also not rest solely with Full Members. \u201cWe cannot ask stronger nations to open doors for us and then stop opening doors for others when we become stronger ourselves. There should be a chain of opportunity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFull Members playing Associates, stronger Associates playing developing Associates, and developing countries becoming better hosts themselves. Rankings have an important competitive purpose, but they should not become walls between cricket nations. They tell us where we are today. They should not decide who we are willing to play tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Looking to the future, where cricket will be a part of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Abhiram signed off by calling for more matches to be organised between full members and associate nations. \u201cThe next challenge is continuity. Japan had a major opportunity in front of it and found ways to create much more around that opportunity. That is the lesson for all of us.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFull Members playing Associates, stronger Associates playing developing Associates, and developing countries becoming better hosts themselves. Rankings have an important competitive purpose, but they should not become walls between cricket nations. They tell us where we are today. They should not decide who we are willing to play tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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