The National Selection Committee for the Men’s Japan National Squads, chaired by Dhugal Bedingfield, have confirmed the final selections for the 2023 season following the Japan Premier League and early rounds of the domestic season. 

One new player joins the full squad as Ashley Thurgate moved up from the Japan National Academy to provide an extra spin-bowling option, joining his brother Marcus in the 20-player squad, while Tsuyoshi Takada returns after a one year absence. 

Men’s Japan National Squad:

• Ryan Drake (Sano Cricket Club)
• Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Shogo Kimura (Wyverns Cricket Club)
• Kouhei Kubota (Wyverns Cricket Club / Keio University Knights Cricket Club)
• Piyush Kumbhare (Tigers Cricket Club)
• Wataru Miyauchi (Wyverns Cricket Club)
• Supun Navarathna (MAX Cricket Club / Tuskers Cricket Club)
• Kento Ota-Dobell (Footscray Cricket Club)
• Sabaorish Ravichandran (Tigers Cricket Club)
• Reo Sakurano-Thomas (Sano Cricket Club)
• Dinesh Sandaruwan (MAX Cricket Club)
• Alexander Shirai-Patmore (Tokyo Wombats Cricket Club)
• Declan Suzuki-McComb (Cheltenham Cricket Club)
• Muneeb Siddique Mian (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Tsuyoshi Takada (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Ibrahim Takahashi (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Makoto Taniyama (MAX Cricket Club / Osaka Raiders Cricket Club)
• Ashley Thurgate (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Marcus Thurgate (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
• Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake (Willetton Dragons Cricket Club)

Meanwhile, the first ever official Men’s Japan A Squad has also been finalised with a mix of players who have represented Japan at senior and under 19 level all included as well as some new faces. 

• Luke Anai-Bates (Sidcup Cricket Club)
• Alester Kadowaki-Fleming 
• Kazumasa Hiratsuka (Sano Cricket Club)
• Vinay Iyer (Kawasaki Knight Riders Cricket Club)
• Raheel Kano (Wyverns Cricket Club / Gunma Stars)
• Masato Morita (MAX Cricket Club / Akishima Aviators)
• Manav Natarajan (Men in Blue Cricket Club)
• Shu Noguchi (Sano Cricket Club)
• Tomonoshin Oki (Wyverns Cricket Club)
• Abdul Samad (Wombats Cricket Club / Kobe Hawks Cricket Club)
• Souta Wada (Sano Cricket Club / Osaka Raiders Cricket Club)
• Jun Yamashita (Osaka Raiders Cricket Club)
• Zubair Khan (Sano Cricket Club / Saitama United)

Congratulations to all those selected and good luck for the year ahead.

[About the Men’s Japan National Squad]

• The Men’s Japan National Squad is an annual training squad consisting of the top performing players. The aim of the squad is to build an inspirational Men’s National Team. Men’s Japan National Teams that play International Cricket are selected from this squad.

[About the Men’s Japan A Squad]

• The Men’s Japan A Squad, previously the Men’s U23 category of the National Academy, is an annual training squad consisting of promising players with the potential of representing Japan. This squad aims to help such players maximise their potential.