Wondering who this guy with "aruvaa meesai" is? If you have played EA Sports Cricket 2005, you would have easily found out that this is Sachin Tendulkar! Yes.. This is how Sachin looks in the game! I dont have to say anything more about the how other Indian players look, in the game!

The sad part is that this poor-state is only for the Indian team. The players' faces and actions are beautifully replicated for the other teams. Here's a sample.Do I even need to say the men in the collage are McGrath, Gillespie, Murali, Gilchrist, Shoaib Akhtar and Pollock? These images are from screen shots of the game - look at how realistic they are!
I don't understand why they have done this to India, given the fact that India is one of the most cricket-crazy countries!

Even if we leave out these factors, the game sucks big time! This game is loaded with bugs:

• The umpire calls wide or byes even if the ball hits the pad - this happens very frequently!
• You are batting and suddenly you find that the controls are swapped!!! Yes... u are now able to control only the opponent team's bowler!
• Sachin and Sehwag batting... Suddenly, the commentator announces that Laxman will face the next ball - and you are like "What the hell is happening???" . 2 balls later, its is Sachin and Sehwag again. Whatever Laxman scored in those 2 balls is added to his own score, but not to the team total!
• One run to win. 5 balls remaining. You hit a six. And then, the bowler gets ready to bowl the next ball! For some strange reason (or lack of it!), you dont win, even though your score is higher than the your opponent's. Then, u get a single to win the game !!!

These are some bugs which I really faced - within some 3-4 matches (of 10 overs each) ! There must be a lot more in there! These are just the new bugs I am talking about. The bugs that were in the earlier versions find their place in this version too.

To make this game, what EA Sports must have done is this: Take Cricket 2004, add better graphics and lot more bugs - there u go... a new game!!!
This is easily the worst game I have played!

(Free-ya velaiyaadina enakke ivlo irritating-aa irukkae, Rs. 1039 koduthu indha game-a vaanginavangalukku epdi irukkum? )

Update: Abinand wanted to know how the other Indian cricketers look, in Cricket 2005. I have uploaded a few screenshots here. Look at these and have a hearty laugh!

One fine morning in Mumbai. Shakti comes from kitchen and finds Karthik still sleeping. “Mani ettu aachu… ezhundhudhu Karthik”, she screams playfully. Seeing her in a ravishing green saree, Karthik gets up and starts singing “Pachai Nirame Pachai Nirame…”. “Poda… aarambichittiya kalangaathala….”, whines Shakti, blushing. But, she enjoys it herself. She loves any reference made to Alaipaiyuthe, as their names match those of the lead pair of the movie. Also, this was exactly how Karthik had impressed her in college, not long back!

K continues singing and switches on the TV. Suddenly K stops singing, midway. S comes out from kitchen saying “Yaen niruthitta? Enna aach…” and she too goes spell bound on looking at the picture on TV. Sharmila Chinnasami’s voice was miratti-fying as usual “Bambaai (Mumbai) arugae road-in naduvil migap-periya thimingalam. Ulaga vignyaanigal viyappu.”

“Haiyyo… anga aepdi thimingalam…enna aachu-ne theriyala.. seekram vera chaanel-a maathu…” screams Shakti in excitement. Karthik switches to CNN. “Breaking News: Miracle in Mumbai” flashes on the screen. Same picture here too. Lots of cars crushed. Buildings damaged. Helicopters are flying all over, getting coverage for various news channels. A reporter catches one totally shocked scientist and asks for his opinion. “This is totally unbelievable. World's largest mammal in the middle of the city... that too about 50 kilometres from the sea! I am totally confused, as all other scientists. We can’t figure out what caused this. This has baffled the entire scientific community all over the world. This huge thing has just appeared out of nowhere!!!”

And then the camera pans to another side covering the damage. S exclaims “Hey! K... Anga paaru… Namakku nalla therinja area madhiri irukku… looks very familiar!!!”

K agrees "Hey!! Aamam… Namma usual-a pora Murugan Koil paaru background la...”

"Haiyoo... paavam andha area people. Problem mela problem… nethu night anga 'alai paainjidhu'. Bodhi Laboratories - Gajaala Sottu Neelam Factory-la edho accident.. Edho tank vedichiduchu-nu en friend fone pannaa… Indha thimingalam news vandhadhaala andha news pathi ellarum marandhutanga!”, adds S.

K shouts “Yaay!!! I have cracked it.”

“Enna aachu? Enakku onnum puriyala!”

He runs to the room and scribbles something on a sheet of paper and shows it to her… A wide smile spreads on her face – “adappaavi.. Ellarum anga kozhambittu irukkaanga! idhu thaana reason?".

Yes... K had cracked it!!!

This is what K showed S.