- I can't quite understand the opposition to visible attribute ratings. If not numbers, there can be letter grades. I would defend it logically saying that when a new player breaks into a County/State/Ranji side, they do not get there based purely on numbers from lower-grade cricket, there is scouting/tryouts involved. I would suggest to have an option where youth players are scouted and the accuracy of their scouting report is dependent on the quality of scouts/amount of money spent on scouts. A similar system is implemented in nearly all sports games, esp. Madden 08 or FIFA 08.
- I would love to see "Player Characteristics." These would not be attributes, but certain characteristics that help individualize each player. Very similar to the "Spin Specialist/ Off side preference" characteristics that ICC has, but more in-depth, and these would affect very specific ratings of the player. For example, Sehwag would be a "Power Hitter" (Enhanced ability to hit sixes), a "Demoralizer" (enhanced ability to affect opposition bowlers' morale), and would have "Amazing Hand-Eye" (Flat-track bully, but prone to getting into trouble in seaming conditions). Yuvraj would also be a "Power Hitter", "Partnership Breaker" (Part-time bowler with the knack of taking wickets), a "Highlight Reel" (ability to pull of spectacular catches and save runs with agile fielding), and have "Nerves of Steel" (Enhanced ability in the final overs of an innings or in a run-chase). There would be bowling/fielding characteristics as well, like Nathan Bracken could be "Dr. Death" (Enhanced ability to bowl in slog/powerplay overs), Brett Lee could have "Express Pace" (Ability to hit 90mph with regularity), Dan Vettori could be a "Wily Fox" (Spinner with subtle variations rather than big turn), while Murali would be a "Big Ripper" (Big Turn). Ricky Ponting would be a "Sharpshooter" (Enhanced ability to hit the stumps from anywhere), while Shane Bond could have a "Rocket Arm" (Great throw from the deep). There could be negative attributes as well, like Gautam Gambhir can be "Butterfingers" (unreliable fielder under pressure) and Ravindra Jadeja can be a "Shaky Finisher" (Opposite of Nerves of steel).
- More stadiums in the game. I think around 50-60 stadiums from the across the world should be represented in the game to give it a more realistic feel. Naturally, I'm not talking about 60 stadiums (All 18 English grounds; 8-10 grounds each from India and South Africa; 6-8 grounds each from the West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia; 2-4 grounds each from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) graphically, as that would be a huge task, but 60 stadiums in terms of accurate ground conditions and dimensions. E.g. a smallish stadium like the VCA Stadium in Nagpur would be a nightmare for spinners, whereas the bigger Gabba would help the bowlers but also put fielders under more pressure with wide expanses of space for the batsmen. If accurate ground shapes could be implemented, that would be even better.
- Morale/Confidence. If these are already tracked internally in the game, they should also be visible. Practically, any captain/coach can clearly see the telltale signs when his opposition is facing the heat, so the morale rating should be made visible.
- Detailed stat tracking, at the level where Player stats should be tracked according to opposition, home/away, and ground. These can then also be used as tidbits in the gameplay/highlights section, where they can be shown when appropriate. E.g. When Collingwood walks in to bat in an ODI in Mumbai, we can have "Collingwood has scored 2 centuries at Mumbai in 5 ODIs and averages 79 here." Later, when Praveen Kumar comes in to bowl to him, we could have "Kumar has dismissed Collingwood 3 times in 8 matches."
:getyou:watchtv:sucks:sucks
