In addition to the already-announced female players – the first for a cricket game ever – Don Bradman Cricket 17 expands on the solid foundations set down by its predecessor. The latest edition offers career mode, character creation options, improved bowling and fielding mechanics, improved commentary and new graphs and statistics.

For the first time, gamers will be able to give their players tattoos enabling them to recreate their cricketing heroes and local club into the game with complete precision for the first time. Importing cricket players from the previous Don Bradman Cricket title also allows a seamless transition to the new Don Bradman Cricket 17 game for veterans making the upgrade.

The Don Bradman Cricket Academy application (available now)  allows gamers to build their dream cricket team and get prepped for the big competition when the full Don Bradman Cricket 17 game launches. After downloading the Don Bradman Cricket Academy application, gamers will be able to create and customise their players with an unprecedented level of control.

The Academy will also give gamers a sense of what the final Don Bradman Cricket 17 will look and feel like with its new engine, as Big Ant Studios will continue to update the application in the lead up to the big release, including the addition of playable content.

“We made customisation the core of the experience with this game,” Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said. “It’s always amazing to see what our dedicated community comes up with, and between the stadium, player, and logo creators, every player can truly make Don Bradman Cricket 17 their own experience.”

Players can also look forward to robust post-launch support, with patches planned to continue to update the game according to player feedback.

“We have one of the most vocal, positive communities in sporting games,” Symons said. “We see Don Bradman 17 as a platform that we’ll continue to refine and build on in the weeks ahead. The response to the game has already been so positive; we’re very proud to be able to support cricket in video games for the fans of the sport.”

Don Bradman Cricket 17 can be purchased through Steam for $49.99