Japan’s new cricket venue, built for this year’s Asian Games, will host men’s T20 internationals for the first time next month, said the International Cricket Council.

Baseball-mad Japan has constructed a cricket stadium for the Asian Games, which are being held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi region from September 19-October 4.

The new ground in Nisshin, outside Nagoya, will stage the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) qualifiers for the 2028 men’s T20 World Cup from May 8-18.

The biggest East Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament ever will see nine teams battling to move a step closer to the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Matches will also take place at the Japan Cricket Association’s headquarters in Sano, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) outside of Tokyo.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Japan to show our capacity to host pathway events for the EAP Region across multiple venues,” said JCA chief operations officer Alan Curr.

“We will be stretched like no time ever before, but are confident we can deliver an event that will showcase the best of the EAP region as well as create excitement for cricket at the Asian Games later this year.”

Host Japan will be joined at the tournament by the Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Samoa and Vanuatu.