Posted by Semi-regular King Cricket contributor Sam sent us a review for a game he initially said was International Cricket Captain 2020, then clarified was ICC 2010, but which actually turned out to be International Cricket 2010 – a game that we’ve already reviewed. Videogame developers are always mystifyingly keen to use the words “international” and “cricket” in the names of their products so it’s no real surprise there should be confusion. Anyway, here’s Sam’s review, because this isn’t the kind of website that turns its nose up at a second review of a decade-old computer game.
My son got an Xbox 360 for Christmas. It came with a selection of games. He doesn’t like sport. We play a lot of Lego Star Wars. Lando Calrissian can’t jump properly and every time we try to fight Darth Vader he runs away.
I have to wait until everyone is in bed before I can crack open the cricket. I’m currently competing in the 2010 T20 World Cup as England.
It’s pretty similar to most cricket games. You try really hard for ages, then accidentally lean on the controller and Collingwood is run out attempting an ill-judged single. Frustrated, you try to smash the next ball out of the ground and before you know it you’re 56 all out and facing defeat to the Netherlands.
Catching is tricky – the ball flies towards the fielder and you have a split second to hit the button or it clonks you in the face. Just like my attempts to play real cricket.
In all the group games so far, my top order has collapsed and Stuart Broad has bailed them out with a gloriously manic half-century.
When we’re bowling, Adil Rashid is pretty much unplayable.
England and Australia are the only teams with proper names. Tim Southee is Tom Northee. Herschelle Gibbs is Harold Gabbs.
I look forward to starting a Test Match series and ignoring my family for weeks on end.
Does anyone have good suggestions for games I can play on a PC with a keyboard. Doesn’t seem that there is many.
Australia might have their real names. But definitely not their proper ones.
Fantastic review, Sam. Many thanks.
It encouraged me to reach behind me in my Ivory Tower, where I have an old CD/DVD stand within which remain a whole load of utterly obsolete software CDs. Utilities and encyclopaedias that came free with PC magazines. That sort of thing.
Gathering dust amongst those delights is a disc entitled “International Cricket captain 2”, which claims to function on Windows 96 or Windows 98. It also boasts the legends “England 1999” and “World Cup Year”.
I find it hard to believe that i shelled out real money for this disc, but I have a feeling that, in a moment of weakness, perhaps goaded on by a so-called friend, I must have done so.
I do remember wasting a fair bit of time on this game back then. I could play county cricket for a whole season if I wanted to and turn young Middlesex hopefuls such as Andrew Strauss into international cricketers by training them up. I vaguely recall Ben Hutton showing more potential in that virtual world than Andrew Strauss. I also recall Matt Windows being a proto-Ben Stokes in that world – I suspected that this was a nod to the operating system.
Anyway, Felix, I’m pretty sure it was keyboard control for that version.
And KC, if by any chance I can find a machine quaint enough to load such antique software, would you like a review of it? You could possibly schedule it in for the disc’s 25th birthday in 2024.
I have only just listened to the latest two ridiculous ashes episodes and it occurred to me as you said about England’s continuous rotations of players in the 90’s when England were ridiculously rubbish. Is the current English squad rotation only going to be a catalyst for the same thing, and is this only going to bring a decade of rubbishness?
It’s distinct, isn’t it, in terms of how you manage it.
If you drop people, you are saying they’re not good enough. This is either dispiriting or a motivation for change. At present, England are resting people while telling them they ARE good enough. They know they’ll come back into the team – they’re assured of it – so it’s not so debilitating.
Valid point, King Cricket. But still, knowing that you may get a double century and still be rested/dropped the next test is a little contradictory though isn’t it?
I agree with your point but knowing that you may only play one game and then be dropped and then picked for the game after would only make you think that your performance and how much you put into the game isn’t important and that maybe is why England aren’t getting the best performances from players. But then on the other hand you can put your all into the match and know you will have time to recover from it.
I don’t really know if there is a definite answer to my initial question, I’m just interested in opinions about it.
With rotation, no-one should be going into a Test thinking they may get rested for the one after. They should be going in knowing that they definitely will or definitely won’t be rested for the one after – that’s the difference.
That’s the way England have been managing it this winter. All of the rest periods have been scheduled. Moeen Ali came in for that one game because Dom Bess was dropped. Bess is now going to come back because Moeen is being rested.
More importantly, are we back to getting up at 4am tomorrow? Or have we all had enough?
It’s fair to say that I am much more affected by tour fatigue than any of the actual players.
We’re leaving it in the hands of fate/our son.
Is Fate the name of your other child?
Her name only sometimes begins with F.