KUALA LUMPUR. Sept 8 (Reuters/ Internet): Captains of the hockey teams battling for gold at the Commonwealth Games have been told they will have help to control tneir teammates on the field or suffer the consequences.

They could even be suspended along with an offending team-mate, said Peter Crane, director of the men's tournament which starts in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

A captain might suffer double the consequences if he or she leaps into an on-field ar-

gument. he said.

If a player is suspended for one match, the skipper may be barred for two," Crane said.

Hockey is making its Commonwealth Games debut, two days ahead of Friday's official opening, with Australia the favourites for the gold medals in both the men’s and women's competitions.

Crane, an Englishman, and South African Jean Field, director of the women's event, took strong lines on the captain's role in pre-tournament meetings with team officials and umpires.

Crane said captains can be a buffer between their players

and umpires. They know their players better and must help to control players likely to flare up and must co-operate with the umpires.

It would be a major upset if the Australian women failed to collect gold.

Since Australian men's hockey veteran Ric Charlesworth took over as coach, they have become World and Olympic champions and have a long unbeaten record in tournament play.

They have the world's two outstanding women players in Alyson Annan and Nikki Mott.

Their most serious challengers for the title are New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and an England side strengthened by the return from injury of top forwards Tina Cullen and Mandy Nicholson.

The performance of the New Zealand women will be watched with particular interest -- they have been wearing jackets whose pockets are filled ice in Cractice to combat the tropical eat and humidity.

The Australian men are also optimistic of gold after finishing fourth at the World Cup, just ahead of medal rivals Pakistan, who were fifth, one spot ahead of England.

Eighth placed Canada is also ambitious -- and so is India, the one-time hockey powerhouse which finished only ninth in the World Cup and who face Australia in their first match.

The teams have been divided into two groups and the top pair in each will go through to the semi-finals.