If the game does take place, there will be two of the finest players on display: Sachin Tendulkar and Curtly Ambrose.

While that duo will be on the field, there is one more regal personality off it: Vivian Richards -- the technical director of Antiguan cricket. Though there were some unconfirmed reports of the maestro contemplating getting onto the field, he denied any such ambitions. Richards attaches a lot of importance to a medal at the Commonwealth Games. But he reckons that could be somewhat difficult with India and Australia in their path. Australia, led bySteve Waugh, would be the favourites for this inaugural edition, which has raised a lot of dust.

Though the IOA-BCCI controversy in India was the most unsavoury of all, things were not exactly pleasant in Pakistan, where reports of bribes, match-fixing still abound. Amid all this, they also had to select two teams for Toronto and here. And they still left Wasim Akram out from both.

England dropped out long back, while Sri Lanka after talking about gold, decide to rest Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muthiah Muralitharan, Marvan Attapatu and Romesh Kaluwitharana. South Africa chose to rest Hansie Cronje and let Shaun Pollock embark on his first trip as skipper.