NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Cricket will not feature in next year's Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, as planned because participating nations were only prepared to field junior teams, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Saturday.

"The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said they can only have an under-19 competition and it was not possible to include cricket under these circumstances," OCA secretary-general Randhir Singh told reporters. "The OCA is firm we'll have only the best."

Asian Olympics officials announced last year that cricket was set to make its Asiad debut in 2006, with a six-nation event approved in principle.

Officials from cricket nations, however, said top players would not be available because of international commitments.

Cricket featured in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games where South Africa won a limited-overs competition, but did not figure in the 2002 Manchester Games and has not been included in the 2006 edition to be held in Melbourne, Australia.-Reuters