Brian Lara International Cricket to return for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 next March.

Brian Lara, the genre-leading cricket game series, will return with Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 and officially feature the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Codemasters announced today.

Coming to PlayStation®2, Xbox 360 and PC, the sequel to the best-selling 2005 title will launch to coincide with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in March 2007.

The new title follows the 2005 revival of the series, which became the first cricket title to ever make Number 1 in the Chart Track's All Formats UK best-seller list. The game won over an army of fans thanks to its authentic and hugely entertaining gameplay and held a 4-week run as the UK's number one best-seller. 2005 was also a great year for Brian Lara himself; the West Indies cricket captain became the leading Test run scorer of all time.

Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 will expand the series' trademark fluid, dynamic gameplay mechanics to deliver a thoroughly entertaining and competitive game that captures all the tension, skill and intensity of world-class international cricket.

The Brian Lara game engine has been brought into Codemasters Studios and will benefit from the internal development team's expertise.

Thanks to the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 content, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 will feature licensed players, including world cricket stars Andrew Flintoff, Ricky Ponting, Mahendra Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan and of course, Brian Lara himself.

In addition to players, the game will lead with a dedicated ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 mode featuring all the official teams, stadia, kits and equipment of the tournament. Further modes include a fully licensed ICC Champions' Trophy competition and exhibition matches including One Day Games, Test Matches and exciting 20-over run fests.

When you want to get competitive for real, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007will deliver with online competitive play on PC (LAN and online) and Xbox Live.

Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 will add extra depth to the series' complete batting, bowling and fielding experience whilst retaining its trademark accessible playability. The acclaimed batting play will see the introduction of subtle edges, sweepshots and the ability to use your feet to dance down wicket and smash the ball over the boundary for six.

Bowling will see a much improved set of delivery types, thanks to changes in the way the ball swings in the air and reacts off the pitch, showcasing Shane Warne's huge variation of spinning deliveries and Steve Harmison's raw pace and even reverse swing as the ball degrades. In Fielding, there's a new reflex-testing slip catch system and players can now be run out at both ends and be stumped by alert wicket keepers.

A striking advancement is the photo-realistic visuals being created for the title. Hundreds of real player likenesses are being modelled in high detail, complete with animated facial expressions to capture the intensity and emotion of international cricket.

Stadia, including all eight official World Cup venues, are also being created with a new level of textured detail and will make use of proprietary shader technology for realistic, subtle and changing lighting effects, such as time of day and weather.

Prepare for cricket fever to grip the nation once again when the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 begins and Brian Lara International Cricket 2007returns in March 2007 for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 2. For more, bowl over to www.codemasters.co.uk/brianlara2007

ENDS