Victoria state Sports Minister Justin Madden said basketball would join hockey, netball and seven-a-side rugby as the four team sports at the four-yearly Commonwealth Games in Australia's second largest city.
"We can look forward to fierce competition at the Games as traditional basketball powers, such as Canada and Australia, attempt to overcome the emerging basketball powers, especially from Africa," Madden told reporters.
He said basketball had beaten bids for inclusion from several other sports, including beach volleyball, handball, softball and water polo.
Cricket was played for the first time at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. The International Cricket Council, the game's governing body, has said it was happy with cricket's debut but wanted to scrap the 50-overs, one-day format.
Commonwealth delegates have since said cricket would be dropped altogether after conflicts with a hectic cricket schedule. Hockey, netball and rugby have been retained.
"It was always going to be difficult because the 2006 programme has a limit of four team sports which had already been allocated," said Basketball Australia chief executive Scott Derwin.
"So we were fortunate enough that cricket has now dropped out and we have been the recommended sport to replace it," he said.
Madden said it was expected the Commonwealth Games Federation would approve the list of sports at its general assembly in Manchester in July.
Australian rowing officials said their sport had also been told it was not among the 2006 starters because not enough Commonwealth countries competed in it.
More than 6,000 athletes and team officials are expected to converge on Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which will run from March 15-26. Melbourne, which hosted the 1956 Olympics, was the only bidder for the 2006 Games.
Reuters
Basketball will be played at the Commonwealth Games for the first time in Melbourne in 2006 but cricket is likely to be ruled out, state officials have said.
