On Xbox 360, Xbox Live gameplay will deliver multiplayer tournaments, including the ICC World Cup 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy 2006, leagues, exhibition and warm up matches. Xbox Live leader boards and specific achievements, such as scoring a century, or winning a match at every ground in the game, will enable players to gain gaming points. Less scrupulous players will also be able to “sledge” their opponents over Xbox Live voice chat, adding a touch of psychology to proceedings and immersing the player deeper still into the match experience. Or you could just chat politely about the weather.

On PC, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 will support LAN games and online play, again offering multiplayer leagues, tournaments such as the ICC World Cup 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy 2006, exhibition and warm up matches.

On both Xbox 360 and PC, up to 16-player simultaneous multiplayer tournaments will be possible, including the ICC-licensed events. Should you wish to just sit back and take in a game, there’s even a feature that enables up to eight spectators to watch an intense game of cricket develop before them.

Designed to be the most accessible and informative cricket gaming experience yet, Codemasters also announces that the game will contain a host of features to detail the intricacies of the sport. With enhanced Practice Nets, a new Glossary of Cricket Terms, the return of the Hawk-EyeTM ball-tracking system and a brand new Coaching Mode, players can expect to take their cricket expertise to a world-class level.

The Coaching Mode covers all the key elements of the game with tutorials that’ll have players batting, bowling and fielding like superstars. The Batting tutorials will take players through all of the playable shots, from basic defensive techniques to new shots such as the sweep, the reverse sweep and advancing down the pitch. The Practice Nets mode has been enhanced and enables players to put new skills learned in the Tutorials into practice, without having to play through full games.

Famous for having its very own vocabulary, cricket terminology can take some explaining; thankfully the new Glossary of Cricket Terms feature has all the answers. When you’re desperate to know what an “Agricultural” shot is, or to learn the difference between a “Front foot” and a “Back foot” defensive, this comprehensive guide will soon have players impressing with spot-on definitions of “Googlies” “Bouncers”, “Chinamen” and “Wrong ‘uns.”

The game also exclusively features Hawk-EyeTM, the cutting-edge sports tracking and analysis graphics system, as used by Channel 4 and Sky Sports in their televised cricket coverage. Hawk-EyeTM uses sophisticated image technologies to explain decisions such as L.B.W. and also monitors bowling accuracy throughout the course of an over, showing the path of each delivery and where it pitches.

With in-game commentary from established cricket experts Jonathan Agnew, David Gower, Ian Bishop, Bill Lawry and Tony Greig, real player stats from Wisden and online play on Games for Windows and via the Xbox Live® online game service on Xbox 360, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 is set to be the most comprehensive international cricket gaming experience.

Pad up and prepare for the game’s arrival next March, coinciding with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 2.

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