There's no Donovan Bailey, Canada's Olympic 100-meter champion and world record holder who decided long ago he wasn't taking part. His Canadian rival Bruny Surin isn't here either. When the September 11-21, 70-nation friendly Games start, there will be no Cathy Freeman, Australia's 400-meter world champion, who has a long-standing foot injury.

The English cricket team isn't bothering to show up at all and Pakistan and India are sending stronger lineups to play in Canada in the Sahara Cup.

Games organisers still don't know whether the big names such as Namibian sprint star Frankie Fredericks will take part and which of the Nigerian sprinters and Kenyan middle- and long-distance runners will be in Kuala Lumpur.

Scotland was looking forward to a gold medal onthe track in the 200 meters but European Campion Doug Walker, who led a British medals sweep in Budapest, is limping round after surgery to his knee and has run his last race of the season.

The newly crowned European 100-meter champion, Darren Campbell, hailed as the new Linford Christie, is struggling to get fit in time and, in the absence of the Canadian stars, the Commonwealth 100 meters, won in the past by such stars as Don Quarrie, Allan Wells, Johnson and Christie, could be won by a little-known outsider.

But even then the lineups are weaker than expected.

Shane Warne, the bewildering leg-spinner who is recovering from shoulder injury, should be back in time for the ashes series but too late for Commonwealth Games. Paceman Glenn McGrath pulled out of the Australian team yesterday with a strained groin.