Kalmadi told a news conference the committee needed to submit a final report to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) by the end of the year.

"We have to submit full documents to CFG by December 31," he said. "The Indian board has to get us the necessary ICC (International Cricket Council) clearance.

"We have told them time is running out. Unless we get a fast response cricket might not be there."

Cricket was introduced to the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 but dropped for the Manchester Games four years later because the ICC said the calendar was too crowded. It will not feature in next year's Melbourne Games.

The organisers have also decided to stage the athletics programme at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, which was built for the 1982 Asian Games, because they were unable to find land on which to build a new venue.