Steve Cram Column

Cram feels selectors should have axed their established stars in favour of the next generation of athletes.

"These Games are a great chance to put more youngsters into the team with a view to 2012," he told BBC sport.

"You can't take teenagers to the Worlds or Olympics because qualifying is tough but you can at the Commonwealths."

Cram says he benefitted immensely from being taken to the 1978 Edmonton Games as a 17-year-old.

And his glittering medal collection seems to back him up.

He was a very, very talented athlete but the sort of thing that he's been through messes with your head Cram on Dwain Chambers

Cram went on to win 1500m gold at the next Commonwealth Games in 1982 and also became European champion that year.

He added World Championship gold to his collection in 1983 before claiming Olympic silver in 1984 and breaking the world mile record in 1985.

In 1986, he won both the 800m and 1500m at the Commonwealths as well as claiming the 1500m title at the Europeans.

"Seb Coe and Steve Ovett decided not to go to the Commonwealths in 1978 because they wanted to focus on the Europeans later in the summer," said Cram.

Cram was given the chance to compete as a teenager

"That opened the door for the likes of myself and Tim Hutchings. We got the chance to go and compete and it would have been good to see that happening again."

England selectors have called up youngsters Marilyn Okoro (800m), Jessica Ennis (heptathlon) and Simeon Williamson (sprint relay) for the Commonwealths in Australia, which start on 15 March.

But Cram believes more of them should have been included in the squad at the expense of the more seasoned campaigners, who also have the European Championships to aim for.

"The problem is a lot of bigger names want to be at the Commonwealth Games when maybe they should be concentrating on other things," he said.

One athlete who will not be in Melbourne is sprinter Dwain Chambers.

He's also been out for so long that I'm just not expecting him to set the world alight Cram on Chambers

He is aiming to make a successful return to the track in 2006 after serving a two-year drugs ban but Cram doubts whether he can recapture the form that won hims World Championship bronze in 1999.

"I think it will be really difficult for Dwain," said Cram.

"He was a very, very talented athlete but the sort of thing that he's been through messes with your head and you have to be a real tough nut to recover from that.

"Very few people have come back and performed to the level that they have before serving a drugs ban.