Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 Critic Reviews

Brian plays a mean, attractive and thoroughly satisfying game of cricket, perfect for those sunny Sunday afternoons.

Which brings me to fielding, by far the worst aspect of Brian Lara and the sole reason that its score is down in the 70s rather than in the mid-80s. Fielding is totally inconsistent and spoils what is otherwise a fine sports sim - one that almost nails one of the hardest sports to simulate.

A neat combination of cool single player match options and a brave crack at doing cricket multiplayer that surprisingly works really well. As a sports simulation it does a respectable job of jazzing up a historically dull sport, but we doubt there will be long term appeal for anyone not already obsessed with it.

The 2005 edition lacks a few of the extra features found in this year's release, but it allowed you to play lengthy matches that mimicked real-life cricket; the aggressive and often stupid AI in 2007 makes this almost impossible.

Despite the familiarity, the slight improvements mean Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 is still at the top of the table. However, you should only get the PC version if you have no other choice.

It's a reasonably effective swing at a cricket game, with a nice range of shot and bolwing types, which suggests that it might find its mark in the multiplayer sector. But if you're expecting a spot-on simulation of the sport, you'll find youself stumped.

It's great that fielding is interactive but you'll become frustrated with how often the wicketkeeper drops simple catches because your timing is marginally off.