Cricket star to front new PC game

Hampshire and England cricket hero Kevin Pietersen MBE has been signed up by Empire Interactive to help promote its latest PC management simulation International Cricket Captain III.

Famed for his role in the Ashes series against Australia in 2005, Pietersen, who features on the packaging of the new game, was awarded the Player of the Year and Emerging Player of the Year in the same season. He then went on to be named in the 2006 Queen's honours list, collecting an MBE.

After 10 years since the original game's release, the latest International Cricket Captain has been rebuilt, featuring a brand new 3D game engine and, according to Empire, "gives the player an addictive pick-up and play management game experience, just like watching cricket on TV".

International Cricket Captain III will allow players to: "take charge of a domestic or international team and steer them to victory through every match of the season. Control all aspects of the team’s progress; from transfers, team selection and training, to detailed match tactics.

"Choose your bowlers, plan their line of attack, set their fields and then watch the highlights to see if you get that vital breakthrough. Ask your batsmen to make hay while the sun shines or defend through the fading light. Prepare the pitch, bowl over or around the wicket and choose to watch the action ball-by-ball or over-by-over."

International Cricket Captain III is out tomorrow for PC, with a PS2 and PSP version lined-up for release in the autumn.