Although it is stated that Ashes 2013 is being built from scratch I am sure they will be building on the past versions as a platform and my assumptions are based on my experiences with Ashes 09 and IC2010.
The big let down in both these games was the tactical and fielding side of things. Fielders not bothering to stop a ball one foot away from the boundary, fielders diving feet first to pick up a ball, you always knowing how fast the ball is going to come back in. In Ashes 09 there were way too many run outs. In the next version there are none and it is not exciting at all, no really close decisions or edgy runs.
Lets have exciting, dynamic breathtaking fielding, where you really have to think "where the heck is that next run going to come from". Fielders straining to catch or stop the ball for all their might.
Lets have smart AI that really knows how to plug gaps, reads the situation, continually adapts to what is required and tries to win games finding a balance between attacking and containing.
Lets have bouncers that really whistle past your face, balls beating the bat as they move away in the air.
Lets have slip catchers who dont walk forward to catch an edge. In real life there is no time. It flies at you and you have a millisecond to grasp the ball, or not.
Lets have statistic heaven, every concievable stat available, that are kept through out your career.
Talking of which, a working, exciting career mode.
Lets have batting that is really hard for those who want it. Those who want to slog and bash give em what they want. Those who really want to earn their runs, give em what they want!
With IC2010 the camera mode was great and the ability to turn off the hud was excellent. However the marker for the ball came on a fraction too late making it impossible to select the correct shot.
Contoller configuration to suit the way you want to press what button for which action.
Slogging a perfect six all around the ground was easier in IC2010 than blocking a ball. That shouldn,t be the case me thinks.
Meh enough from me, back to find my rock. Great that a game is coming and especially from well known cricket enthusiasts. Good luck with it all and make it a cracker, an absolute jam-filled cream donut of a game!