Michael Atherton

Michael Atherton

Cricket expert and columnist

Articles by Michael Atherton

Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes, second Ashes Test, Brisbane, day two

England 'awful' before Australia open door with late wobble

Joe Root celebrates scoring his first Test hundred in Australia on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba

Athers: Root played 'innings of his life' when England needed it most

Joe Root celebrates scoring his first Test hundred in Australia on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba

Athers: Root played 'innings of his life' when England needed most

Analysis

England vs South Africa: Michael Atherton issues wake-up call after hosts 'caught cold' in first ODI at Headingley

Sonny Baker has impressed for the Manchester Originals in The Hundred

Opinion

Sonny Baker: Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain tip pace bowler for late England Ashes call-up

Virat Kohli scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests to stand fourth in India's all-time list of Test run-scorers

Analysis

Hussain: Kohli's aura, passion and swagger transformed Indian cricket

England's Jacob Bethell is set to miss the Test against Zimbabwe from May 22-25 due to IPL commitments

Atherton: England should have picked Bethell against Zimbabwe

Suryavanshi's stunning IPL ton eclipses the emergence Sachin Tendulkar, says Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain

Analysis

A ton to top Tendulkar? Nas and Ath react to 14-year-old's IPL hundred

England's Ben Stokes, ODI cricket (Associated Press)

Exclusive

Athers: England right not to give Stokes captaincy

Atherton scathing of 'shocking' England: They saved the worst until last

England's white-ball teams have regressed under Jos Buttler's captaincy and the time has come for change, says Michael Atherton

Analysis

Champions Trophy exit underlines regression of 'one-dimensional' England

England's Jofra Archer delivers a ball during the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) cricket match between Australia and England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 22, 2025. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

Questions for England: Should Buttler bat up order? Worries over Archer?

Australia battled back from a chastening opening defeat in Perth to beat India 3-1 in their five-match Test series

Athers: England can take encouragement from Australia-India series

Zak Crawley was dismissed for just 21 during England's first innings on day two of the third Test against New Zealand

Atherton: England likely to remain loyal to Crawley despite poor form

England's Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope struggled during the 2-1 Test series defeat to Pakistan last month

Hussain: England loyal but Crawley and Pope shouldn't get comfortable

Ben Stokes (Getty Images)

Analysis

Are spinning pitches Bazball's kryptonite?

Ben Stokes (Getty Images)

Analysis

Are spinning pitches Bazball's kryptonite?

Analysis

Atherton: Root has 'great chance' to surpass Tendulkar's Test record

Atherton: It's a very different England in searing Pakistan heat

Ben Duckett celebrates his century in the fifth ODI against Australia.

Analysis

Atherton's England series review: Duckett, Salt, Carse verdicts

England's Test head coach Brendon McCullum alongside captain Ben Stokes

Nasser and Athers react to McCullum appointment

England's Test head coach Brendon McCullum alongside captain Ben Stokes

Nasser and Atherton react to McCullum appointment

Andy Flower was England head coach between 2009 and 2014

Analysis

Athers: Flower 'the outstanding candidate' for England white-ball job

Andy Flower was England head coach between 2009 and 2014

Analysis

Flower 'the outstanding candidate' for England white-ball job

England's Test captain Ben Stokes will lead his side against the West Indies at home this summer

Athers: England's Test selection shows they'll continue to take risks

England's captain Ben Stokes will not feature for the T20 World Cup this year

Atherton: Stokes decision not a surprise

England's captain Ben Stokes will not feature for the T20 World Cup this year

Atherton: Stokes decision not a surprise

England's captain Ben Stokes after his side fell to a five-wicket defeat to India in the fourth Test

Analysis

Atherton: England criticism unfair after series loss to India

England debutant Shoaib Bashir celebrates his maiden Test wicket as he removes India captain Rohit Sharma

Analysis

Athers: Bashir's Test start couldn't have gone better

Anderson is five wickets away from 700 in Test cricket

Atherton: Anderson one of England's greatest sportspeople

Anderson is five wickets away from 700 in Test cricket

Atherton: Anderson one of England's greatest sportspeople

Off-spinner Bashir only linked up with England on the final day of the first Test after visa issues

Analysis

Remarkable pick follows remarkable win as England look to pounce on India

England's Ollie Pope struck 148 not out from 208 balls on day three of the first Test

Pope's 'courageous' ton displays England's positive belief

Tom Hartley struggled on his England debut, India picking apart his spin bowling as he leaked runs

'The Stokes way' - Athers defends skipper's faith in debutant Hartley

Virat Kohli is to miss the first two Test matches between India and England for personal reasons

Analysis

Atherton: England's task in India 'a lot easier' with Kohli missing

Virat Kohli (Associated Press)

Analysis

Atherton: England's task in India 'a lot easier' with Kohli missing

England's Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are two figures whose one-day international futures are up in the air

Atherton: England do not need a complete reset

Ben Stokes' return to England's ODI squad as a specialist batter means Harry Brook makes way

Atherton: Brook 'the unlucky one' as Stokes returns to England ODI squad

of England of the West Indies during day five of the Fourth Test match between England and the West Indies at the Riverside Ground on June 19, 2007 in Chester-le-Street, Durham, England

Atherton: County pathways should be free | Hussain: Report 'damning'

Michael Atherton feels the decision to include Jonny Bairstow to replace Ben Foakes is the right call especially after his impressive summer last year

Atherton: Bairstow over Foakes is 'right call' for England

David Warner has been included in Australia's 17-man squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India and first two Ashes Tests

Atherton: Australia had to go with Warner but England will pressure him

Nasser Hussain believes that Test captain Ben Stokes could be the missing piece of the jigsaw for England's ODI team

Analysis

Will Stokes unretire for World Cup? 'He's the final piece of the jigsaw'

England captain Ben Stokes celebrates with coach Brendon McCullum after the win in Multan

Analysis

Hussain and Athers hail historic win | 'Amazing how much England have changed'

England skipper Ben Stokes masterminded a superb first-Test victory over Pakistan in Rawalpindi

Analysis

Stokes changing the face of Test cricket? | 'He wants to forget about convention'