International Cricket Captain 2006

Cricket may not be as popular as baseball, but the rules are very similar and there are plenty of teams that enjoy international fame and fan appreciation. World championships and competitions are also quite numerous and common, with more than enough money in prizes and large crowds to cheer for their favorite players, not to mention the sheer amount of talent displayed during the matches.

International Cricket Manager 2006 aims to provide you with a bit of insight behind the scenes of the sport, by allowing you to become the manager for a cricket team of your choosing and tackle the numerous challenges that come with the job. In essence, you have complete control over the roster, the tactics used out on the pitch and various other managerial aspects, although you must yield positive results on a regular basis, otherwise the board can quickly decide that you are not worth the impressive salary and dispose with you in an instant.

In the beginning, you must choose a club to represent and coach, which is just a matter of personal preference, given the fact that most of the well-known teams from around the world are present. Their official rosters are also complete and accurate, although they can be easily altered once you gain the rights to transfer new talent and let some of the old players go, if you are not happy with their performance on the field.

Speaking of which, transferring a new player is not as easy as simply making an offer, since there are many other clubs out there who might also be interested in the same players. Thus, a bid war can ensue, one that requires you to offer more than the other teams, in order to secure the transfer and avoid losing your credibility. Naturally, moves like this can sometimes bankrupt you, which is why it is not always wise to throw money at something you want just to make others miss out on it.

Simulation-wise, the tactics and strategies you choose in-between the matches are very important when it comes to assuring the fact that your players can respond in kind to any type of play. However, if things seem to get out of control during the match, it is also possible to make changes in real-time and adjust your approach to the matter. The graphics are not extraordinary, but the atmosphere should be more than enough to keep you playing for quite the long time.

While International Cricket Captain 2006 is definitely not a game for the masses, the target audience should be quite happy with the product in question, especially thanks to the large number of tactics and strategies that can be employed on the pitch. The huge database filled with teams, players and staff information is an achievement by itself, since it really brings a dash of realism into the equation.