Darren Campbell, the country's most consistent sprinter at recent major championships, faces an awesome task in maintaining his prolific record when the Commonwealth Games get under way.

After his worst season since emerging as the successor to Linford Christie, his coach on the latter's official retirement nine years ago, Campbell is a surprise choice for Team England.

Selectors publicly claimed Campbell's past record of medalling at Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth level, justified his inclusion in the 200 metres and 4x100 metres squad for Melbourne.

But privately there has been concern that the 32-year-old Mancunian might finally have succumbed to the injuries that are part-and-parcel of the hurly-burly of competing year after year on the global stage.

Indeed, Campbell was a last-minute withdrawal from the Norwich Union GB side for last August's World Championships.

The highly-experienced Newport-based athlete, although not chosen for either the 100 or 200 metres individual races, had been named team captain and included in the relay squad.

"It's time to handover to the youngsters and give them their chances," the Olympic 4x100m relay gold-medallist, reiterated on a regular basis last summer.

Nevertheless, Campbell - with his highly competitive nature - has jumped at the opportunity of making the trip Down Under where he has been chosen alongside Marlon Devonish and Chris Lambert in the 200m.

But questions remain over whether it is a wise move to include Campbell, bronze-medallist over the distance in his home city four years ago.

Campbell last year placed only 17th in the UK ranking 200m lists with a fastest

time of 21.17 seconds - a performance which is unlikely to send shivers down the spines of his world-class opponents in Australia.

Indeed, after his long service to British athletics he might even have set himself up for a major fall from grace with his paymasters at UK Athletics.

Campbell is a member of UKA's World Class Performance plan and performance director Dave Collins has made no secret of the fact that anyone not coming up to scratch in Melbourne might have their funding revoked.

Nevertheless no one can doubt Campbell, whatever physical shape he might be in, will give anything less than 100 per cent for his country, just as he has done in past major competitions.

Apart from his Olympic relay gold medal and 200m third place at the last Commonwealth Games, Campbell can boast of a fantastic record of achievement.

His magnificent career began with 100m and 200m victories in the 1991 European Junior Championships while a year later he was runner-up over both distances at the World Juniors.

Campbell then temporarily split from the sport, pursuing a professional football career for two seasons before returning under the tutelage of Christie, the 1992 Olympic 100m champion.

Still only 22, the born-again sprinter joined his mentor in Great Britain's 1996 Olympic 4x100m relay squad and the following summer picked up a bronze medal over the distance at the World Championships.

The following summer, Campbell massively enhanced his reputation, succeeding Christie as European 100m champion and winning a relay gold medal in Budapest.

He continued to excel, notably in 2000 when, stepping in at 20 minutes' notice for Jason Gardener, he won the European Cup 100m final and not surprisingly was named man of the match.

Then came his epic run when he chased home Kostas Kenteris in the Sydney Olympic 200m final, having earlier finished sixth in a high-powered 100 metres final.

But wear and tear are inevitable in sprinting and the following year was very low key with hamstring injuries forcing him out of the World Championships in Edmonton.

But Campbell bravely took the setback on the chin and, apart from his 2002 Commonwealth 200m bronze medal, also finished third over 100m at the European Championships then helped a severely-weakened GB side to the 4x100m relay title.

Then came the momentous Athens performance where Campbell ran the second leg for the British relay squad who beat the USA's 'Dream Team' to the coveted gold medal.

However, Campbell's performances tailed off sharply after Athens and, despite the GB selectors keeping faith with him, over 100m he was ranked only 24th in the country and he dropped out of the UK merit rankings for the first time in 13 years.

Melbourne - his third successive Commonwealth Games - now offers Campbell the opportunity to reclaim former glories.

But the quality of opposition he can expect to face in Australia, will mean only his very best form and probably matching his quickest mark of 20.13sec, will guarantee him a place in the 200m final.