STEVE WAUGH was born to bat not swim but it did not stop him from kitting up and grabbing his goggles at the Malaysian Commonwealth Games.

The 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur was the only time cricket has appeared at the Games and national 50 over captain Waugh, a devout all sports fan, immediately quashed a proposal to send an A team to snatch what he felt was the chance of a lifetime.

Waugh saw as much action as he could and even when tickets were sold out for a night of swimming he and old mate Gavin Robertson hatched a daring plan to see the action.

They got dressed up in their team kit, slicked back their hair with water, slipped their goggles around their necks and said to officials “sorry, we’re swimming. We have lost our tags.’’

The nervous duo were pointed towards the change rooms but did a swift U-turn and joined the fans.

Waugh considered the Games experience one of the highlights of his career but the look of thunder and disappointment on his face when Australia had to settle for the silver medal after being beaten in the final by an understrength South Africa was that of an angry man.

“It hurt me because some of our guys had switched into party mode and believed it was a given we would win,’’ Waugh wrote in his autobiography Out Of My Comfort Zone.

“I was not upset with the silver, I was aggrieved at our lack of professionalism.’’

Batting first, an Australian team containing Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann and South Australian spinner and occasional lawn-mowing man Brad Young, were bowled out for 183 with Waugh stranded on 90 not out. South Africa swept to victory with four overs to spare and four wickets in hand.

Fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz, who played that day, remembers the Games experience fondly.

“It was so different living in the village. Even just eating with thousands of others. It was really unique. It was great to watch how other athletes do it. We played a big game of cricket with some swimmers like Kieren Perkins and the rugby guys.

“One memory I have was going to the food hall and seeing the amount of food on (All Black great) Jonah Lomu’s plate — it was extraordinary.

“I have my silver medal at home. I have started doing some work with KPMG who are sponsoring the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and I am working with their sports advisory groups and we got talking about the Games and I told them I have a silver medal.’’

There were all sorts of quirky “Games only’’ moments the Australians enjoyed.

Waugh recalled a Canadian number eight batsman saying “don’t hurt me guys — I have a news agency and a pizza shop to run next week.’’

Steve noted his twin Mark’s surprise when the morning paper was not delivered to his door in the morning.

The Australians deeply admired the dietary discipline of other athletes but struggled to resist the new blueberry Cornettos which were stocked in the dining hall, often drawing a bewildered headshake from other athletes when they were spotted taking more of them back to their rooms.

Sadly, cricket has never gone back to the Games, probably because national bodies don’t want other organisations making money from their product.

There have been some scattered attempts to revive it and some famous rebuttals such as the time when India knocked back the chance to have a Twenty20 tournament at the 2010 Delhi Games, saying “we don’t believe that format has a future.’’

Not since an agent knocked backed The Beatles because of their rowdy guitars has there been such a misguided call.

Waugh’s pain at the silver medal lingered but was eased at the closing ceremony when Perkins said to him he thought the cricketers were great for the team and their enthusiasm and energy was a reminder to everyone not to take anything for granted.