Michael Atherton

His family includes several known sportspeople, such as his father Alan, a former Manchester United reserve central defender in the 1960s.

As a youth, he captained the Manchester Grammar School cricket team, for whom he scored almost 3,500 runs and took 170 wickets.

His performances led to selection for the England under-19 team, which he captained aged 16.

Michael Andrew Atherton (born 23 March 1968) is a broadcaster, journalist and a former England international cricketer.

A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England, and occasional leg-break bowler, he achieved the captaincy of England at the age of 25 and led the side in a record 54 Test matches.

He also represented Lancashire Schools from 1982 to 1986.

In 1983 he won the Jack Hobbs Memorial Award as the Outstanding Schoolboy Cricketer at under-15 level.

In a (non-first-class) match against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1984 he took 6–27.

Entering Downing College, Cambridge, to read History, he was selected at 18 to play for Cambridge University Cricket Club and awarded a blue.

A year later he made 73 on his county debut for Lancashire, scoring his maiden first-class hundred against Derbyshire a fortnight later.

During this time he represented his university, the Combined Universities cricket team (which he captained to the quarter finals of the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1989) and his county.

This early rise through the ranks, and extensive leadership experience earned him the nickname "FEC", which is thought to have stood for "future England captain".

In his autobiography Opening Up, Atherton is candid about the fact that there are more colourful alternatives for "FEC"; the second word being "educated"; as suggested by his teammates at the time.

Atherton's heady rise continued when he made his debut for England in the fifth test of 1989 against Australia at Trent Bridge, where he scored 0 and 47.

Atherton's chance came when several England players announced their decision to go on a rebel tour to South Africa and so were banned from the Test team.

Despite these defections, he was selected as vice-captain of the 1989–90 A-team tour to Zimbabwe rather than for the West Indies tour.

He learned that he would make his debut when captain David Gower threw a plastic bag of England caps and sweaters at him.

Often hampered by a chronic back complaint which was to contribute to the end of his career, Atherton was considered a leading England batsman during the 1990s.

Following retirement he became a journalist and is a cricket commentator with Sky Sports, and chief cricket correspondent of The Times.

Atherton was born in Failsworth, Lancashire, England.

Atherton returned to the England side in the summer of 1990, partnering Graham Gooch at the top of the order and giving the first demonstration of his abilities at international level.

In his first innings after recall, and his first opening the batting for England, he scored 151 against New Zealand.

He shared an opening partnership of 204 with Gooch against India at Lord's, in the match famous for Gooch's scores of 333 and 123, as well as further big opening partnerships in the next two Tests, and Test centuries against New Zealand and India earned him the title of Young Cricketer of the Year.

During the winter of 1990–91, Atherton faced a sterner test on the Ashes tour of Australia.

Although he made a century in the third Test at Sydney, which would prove to be his only century in an Ashes Test, he averaged just 31 for his 279 runs, and England lost 3–0.

Atherton struggled against the West Indies in 1991 and missed the 1992 Cricket World Cup and tour of New Zealand with fitness problems, but was recalled to the Test team in the summer of 1992.

When Australia arrived for the 1993 Ashes series, Atherton's place in the team was not assured.

However, a consistent summer, during which he scored six 50s in six Tests (including 99 at Lord's), cemented his place in the side at a fortunate time.

Graham Gooch, frustrated by continual losses against Australia, resigned as captain after the fourth Test and Atherton, aged just 25, replaced him.

He lost his first match in charge but England managed to beat Australia in a morale-boosting final Test; England had not beaten Australia in the previous 18 Test matches.

Atherton's first tour as captain, to the West Indies in the winter of 1993–94, was not a success as England lost 3–1.

This was a series of highs and lows: Brian Lara of the West Indies compiled a world-record 375 against them at Antigua; England were bowled out for 46 to lose the third Test (and with it the series) but then roared back at Bridgetown to win the fourth Test thanks to two centuries from Alec Stewart.

For his part, Atherton was the best of the English batsmen, scoring 510 runs at an average of 56.67.

Earning plaudits for his determination and leadership, Atherton followed up with two centuries in the three-match series at home against New Zealand.

His reputation suffered a blow when he was implicated in a ball-tampering controversy during the first Test against South Africa at Lord's, for which he was fined £2,000 by Ray Illingworth.

Atherton was accused of lying to Peter Burge, the match referee.

Known for his stubborn resistance during an era of hostile fast bowling, Atherton was described in 2001 as a determined defensive opener who made "batting look like trench warfare".

He had several famed bouts with bowlers including South Africa's Allan Donald and Australia's Glenn McGrath.

Atherton often played the anchor role at a time when England batting performances lacked consistency.

His playing career included controversy, including ball tampering, and several brushes with the media with whom, by Atherton's own admission, he did not have a good understanding when he was a player.