EA Cricket 07 was released way back in 2007 and was known as Yuvraj Singh Cricket 07 in India. The game was way ahead of its time then and it is a testament to its quality that it is still avidly played by cricket fans across the world even today.
The EA offering allows cricket fans to play with their favourite international teams and teams from T20 tournaments around the world. It is also one of the few cricket games that are licensed by most cricket boards except those of a couple of Asian countries like India and Sri Lanka. Such features, along with EA’s usual state-of-the-art graphics and gameplay, make the game a very enjoyable experience.
Also read: 5 of the best fielders in EA Cricket 07
Another thing which makes EA games preferred by sports fans is the accurate player ratings depicted in the game. On some occasions, however, EA’s rating systems do go awry which result in a few puzzling underestimations or overestimations of attributes. We recently did an article on players who were not as good as their ratings suggested on the game and now we list out those who are criminally underrated on EA Cricket 07.
#1 MS Dhoni (D. Dhenier)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is India’s most successful captain ever, with the Men In Blue winning over 60% of all the ODIs played under his stewardship. The former skipper gave the Indian cricket team one of its finest moments when he smashed his trademark helicopter shot for a six to win the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai.
Such has been Dhoni’s legacy that he now has a Bollywood biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, based on his life and achievements.
EA Cricket 07, on the other hand, seems to have a much lower estimation of the wicketkeeper’s abilities with the bat and the gloves. Dhoni has made power hitting his trait and while he is rightfully given the “Slogger” attribute in the game, his batting weaknesses include short pitched balls and hooking and a lack of awareness regarding the location of his off-stump.
His fielding attributes too are underrated with agility and catching in the mid-80s, surprisingly low for a man who has more than 200 catches to his name.
EA could be forgiven to some extent as Dhoni was not the household name he is now back when the game was released in 2007. The Indian team was struggling at the time and was knocked out of the World Cup in the first round. In spite of this, ratings like 72 for arm strength do not seem to have any basis, especially for a man who hits the ball like a bullet.
#2 Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum was the linchpin of the Kiwi batting order for over a decade. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who is known for his heavy hitting, famously kicked off the inaugural IPL edition in 2007 with a blockbuster century for the Kolkata Knight Riders. This IPL too, he has been in great form and is competing with David Warner for the Orange Cap for the most runs scored in the tournament.
The opener has always been explosive, an attribute which is not quite reflected in his Cricket 07 ratings where his batting is woefully underrated. An attacking batsman by nature, his attacking attribute is only 67, with NO OTHER batting attribute rated above 70 which is puzzling because he is a player known for his ability to destroy opposition attacks.
EA have also failed to give McCullum any special batting skills. He is neither a driver nor a slogger (Really EA?) and also struggles to play spin or short deliveries. All in all, these are very puzzling ratings for a man who is in demand by T20 franchises world over for his attacking instincts.
#3 Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn has spearheaded the South African cricket team for ages. Bowling with menacing speed and impeccable line and length, the pacer is a living nightmare for any opening batsman. Having mastered the art of swinging the ball at pace, he is also a world-class Test match operator. Over the years, Steyn has taken hundreds of wickets in all three formats of the game and continues to be deadly with the old and the new ball.
With such a reputation, Cricket 07’s ratings for the South African are a farce. In the game, the pacer does not possess any special skills. None at all from a choice of Partnership Bowler, Striker Bowler, Miser, Trickster or Workhorse. While Steyn is known for his discipline, it is not evident in the game as no bowling attribute except Seam crosses the 80 mark. Discipline and swing are two of his lowest rated attributes with swing being below the 70 mark.
Such ratings are criminal for a player of Steyn’s calibre, who in 2007, was reaching his peak. EA have released multiple patches and fixes for the game but still haven't repaired these ratings. Such gaffes are a blot on the game rather than the player and should be rectified.
#4 Lasith Malinga
The Mumbai Indians pacer’s characteristics have made him instantly recognisable anywhere. His flamboyant blonde-brown afro along with a peculiar round arm action that ends with the ball being delivered from shoulder height ensure that the Sri Lankan is the centre of attention on the cricket ground.
Malinga’s intelligent variations at the death and signature yorkers make him an asset for whichever team he represents but he seems to be more of a liability on Cricket 07. In a case similar to Dale Steyn’s, Malinga does not possess any special skills in the game, not even those of Trickster and Strike Bowler, two traits which are very much his USP.
Malinga’s accuracy and discipline, things which are required in bucketloads to execute those yorkers of his, are also rated at only 80.
#5 Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla represents South Africa in all three formats of the game and is often regarded as one of the most technically sound batsmen in the game. Relying on pure cricketing shots rather than brute strength for his runs, Amla is very similar to retired Indian great, Rahul Dravid, in terms of style of play.
In yet another case of confounding player ratings, his skill is given a rating of 67 while main attributes like concentration and the ability to play down the ground are only in the mid-60s. EA doesn’t deem Amla good enough for any special skills. While driving and a watertight defence are often associated with the South African, he possesses none of “Defensive Wall”, “Driver”, “Slogger”, “Demon Hooker” skills, nor is he an expert at playing spin.
Again, such ratings lower the credibility that EA holds as a maker of genuinely high-quality sports games. Such mistakes should be corrected as soon as possible in the multiple patches that keep getting released for the game.
