International Cricket Council Chief Executive David Richardson and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Women’s cricket director (ECB) Clare Connor have both given their backing to a bid to hold a women's Twenty20 tournament at the Games in four years' time.

The ECB’s enthusiasm is in stark contrast to their attitude 20 years ago, when, alone among the major cricket nations, they did not send a men’s team to the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

The ECB had just been founded to replace the Test and County Cricket Board as the governing body for what was then the only Test playing nation in the Northern Hemisphere. 

In September, the English domestic season was nearing its conclusion and clashed directly with the tournament. The Commonwealth Games Council for England rejected an offer from the cricket body to send a weakened team.

"It is one of the great ironies of the Commonwealth that the nation which started it all is probably the most aloof from it," said an official book published by Kuala Lumpur 1998. The comment was not aimed at the English cricket but might well have been.

Despite England’s absence, cricket’s presence alongside hockey and rugby sevens heralded a major change in the approach of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)

Previously cricket and the others had been frozen out by a clause in the CGF constitution, which read: "Sports shall not be conducted solely on a team basis."

All that changed when Kuala Lumpur won the right to stage the 1998 Games as the Malaysians made no secret of their wish to include fully fledged team sports.

"There are lots of hurdles to get over but in the broad sense if it is going to assist the development of cricket which is part of my brief, the ultimate answer is yes we should try to stimulate," said Richardson, who suggested that there might be an age limitation similar to that imposed in  men’s  Olympic football.

"The expansion of team sports is part of the drive to give the Commonwealth games a more modern image at the turn of the century," said Hong Kong’s veteran Commonwealth Games administrator Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales.

The admission of team sports was intended to broaden the appeal of the Commonwealth Games, particularly on the sub continent.

"Unfortunately not all the test playing nations were wholehearted in their support," wrote Jim Tucker in the respected Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

Although India and Pakistan did take part, it seemed their respective boards "could not work out whether they wanted to be in Kuala Lumpur or Toronto for the lucrative Sahara Cup".

As it was, Sachin Tendulkar, then the top one-day batsman in the world and India’s top Test wicket taker Anil Kumble, did go to Malaysia, though India were not destined to enjoy a happy tournament.

Back in 1998, the competition was men only. It was also the last major international one-day competition in which teams played in traditional whites. As T20 did not yet exist, the format was 50 overs a side.

As host nation, Malaysia took their place alongside the top four from the most recent ICC Trophy for Associate nations. These were Bangladesh, Kenya Scotland and Canada.

Northern Ireland were also invited and sprang a big shock in the group stages with victory over Bangladesh, then on the verge of achieving Test status.

Of the established Test nations, the Australians were the keenest.

"The rich lore of the Commonwealth Games in the Australian psyche gave the team a focus which certain other teams clearly did not have," Tucker wrote in Wisden.

Australia’s captain Steve Waugh was very enthusiastic.

"When you watch the Olympic or Commonwealth Games , you can’t help thinking that winning a gold medal and hearing your anthem would be the ultimate. As a cricketer it has always been an impossible dream – until now," he said.

Waugh's brother Mark was vice-captain and the pair were joined by Ricky Ponting and wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist. 

Over the next decade all would be key men in Australia’s success in all forms of the game. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath had been chosen but missed out through injury. This Australian team did not receive the revered "Baggy Green" - instead they were awarded gold caps emblazoned with the same Kangaroo worn by all the other members of the team.

That didn’t stop the players organising cricket in the Athletes’ Village, where participants included swimmers Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett.

Waugh later described his time in Kuala Lumpur as "probably the best week of my life". He spent non matchdays watching team-mates in other sports and even managed to sneak in to watch a sell-out night at the swimming.

The Games made such an impression that Waugh later became a mentor for Australian Olympic teams in Beijing and London.

Before Gold Coast 2018, team mate Michael Kasprowicz reflected on village life for the Brisbane Courier Mail. "It was so different. Even just eating with thousands of others," he said.

In cricket, the united islands of the West Indies dominated in the seventies and eighties, but in Kuala Lumpur, they played as individual islands, just as they would do if cricket ever became an Olympic sport.

The Barbados players had shaved their heads as a team-bonding exercise. They were coached by legendary fast bowler Joel Garner who promised to follow suit if they reached the final. He did not have to visit the barber.

Antigua were coached by Sir Vivian Richards, one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. They had Richie Richardson and fast bowler Curtly Ambrose in their ranks.

‘’Our players are professional and we are not intimidated by names. Anything can happen on match day," insisted Sir Viv, though even he did admit to a lump in his throat when he was asked to carry his nation’s flag at the Opening Ceremony.

The Antiguans were drawn in the same group as Australia, who seemed an unstoppable force.

Australia beat Antigua, Canada and India convincingly. Conditions were so humid when Australia met India that Amay Khurasiya collapsed whilst fielding .

"When you see an Indian player go down with sunstroke you know it is pretty hot," Waugh said. He described the century he made as his "most satisfying in one-day cricket" but the ICC decided that these matches would not count in the official one-day international listings.

"The likes of the Waugh brothers from Australia and other equally illustrious personalities make September a month to remember," said Charlie Chelliah, cricket convenor of the Royal Selangor Club.

In the semi-finals, Australia’s Brett Young performed the hat-trick to hasten the demise of New Zealand for only 58. 

Australia then made sure of their place in the final only 10.4 overs later.

In the other semi-final, South Africa were 96 for nine chasing only 131 to win against Sri Lanka before a late rally enabled them to scrape home by one wicket.

New Zealand beat the Sri Lankans to win bronze, but all eyes were on the final between Australia and South Africa.

Malaysia's monarch, the Yang di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Jaafar, joined a crowd of 7,532 at the Royal Selangor Club for the match. It was the largest ever seen for a cricket match in Malaysia.

Australia batted first. Waugh proved the lynchpin of their innings and struck an unbeaten 90 which included six fours and two sixes.

The Australian cause was not helped by three run outs and South Africa’s captain Shaun Pollock returned figures of 4-19 as Australia made a disappointing 183 from their 50 overs.

South Africa were always in control after a brisk opening stand of 73 from Andrew Hudson and top scorer Mike Rindel, who made 67. Jacques Kallis also made valuable runs as South Africa celebrated a four-wicket win with four overs to spare.

"We set our sights on gold so we picked a bad day for an off day," said Waugh.

A year later, Australia had their revenge. Seven of the Commonwealth Games team were on the field for the ICC World Cup semi-final against South Africa in Birmingham. The contest was an epic and the scores were level but Australia won because of their superior record in the tournament and went on to lift the trophy.

Kuala Lumpur 98 remains the only time cricket has made an appearance so far. "I know they all enjoyed and valued the experience," said Prince Imran, who later served as CGF President and has advocated the return of cricket ever since.

The ICC did propose the inclusion of a "Super Max" 10 overs a side version but Manchester 2002 organisers insisted cricket "was never part of our plans".

Clive Lloyd, who led the West Indies to victory in the first two World Cups and was a folk hero at Lancashire County Cricket Club, and at least carried the Queen’s baton.

When cricket was suggested for New Delhi 2010, many suspected that India’s cricket board brought pressure to bear to ensure the plan did not get off the ground.

There was disappointment that the Gold Coast didn’t choose cricket in 2018 but if there is T20 in 2022, there will be enough bells and whistles and thumping music to keep Birmingham's sport presentation department happy to their dying days.

If the ICC are successful, Birmingham’s Test cricket centre at Edgbaston would be appropriate for a  women’s tournament. 

Back in 1973, the decisive match of the inaugural women’s World Cricket Cup was played on the very same ground.