All the 19 World Cup probables will be in seen action with V.V.S. Laxman, Debang Gandhi, MSK Prasad and Harbhajan Singh joining them to make the two squads, which will be led by current skipper Mohammad Azharuddin and vice-captain Anil Kumble. The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The details about who will form Azhar XI and Anil Kumble XI are being worked out, he said. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is trying to rope in four Australians David Boon, Paul Rieffel, Darren Lehman and Damien Flemming to do the commentary.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is undergoing treatment for a back spasm in England, is likely to make it to New Delhi for the launch but his participation in the game has not been confirmed yet. But the ministry sources feel that he is being urged to make at least some token participation during the game. Even if he does not play the game, he is expected to be present during the game.

According to sources, the aim of of launching a sport channel was to be more informative and educative. To begin with, the channel will concentrate on Indian sports, including rural games while simulteneously spreading its wing to foreign sports as well.

The day-night game on March 18 will also provide the ministry with an opportunity to know how well DD is capable of producing the programme in order to compete at the world level. Doordarshan is likely to employ six to eight cameras to produce the event and all arrangements are more or less complete in this respect.

But the ministry expects some teething problems in the beginning, despite having able producers and cameramen to take care of the production. Whatever problems they face in the event will be overcome in the subsequent ones, said a ministry personnel.