Michael Atherton

Michael Atherton

Cricket expert and columnist

Articles by Michael Atherton

Opinion

Atherton: 'England must become Root's team - he has a unique opportunity'

Brendon McCullum and Harry Brook

Opinion

What next for England Test team - and 'why the lack of leaders?'

Atherton: England have talent to challenge for Women's T20 World Cup title

Harry Brook has been accused of lacking contrition after his 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin-inspired century celebration

Athers: Brook celebration 'slightly inappropriate'

Potts has conceded 141 runs from a wicketless 25 overs in Sydney

Analysis

Loose bowling, drops and 'predictable' tactics leave England staring at defeat

Potts has conceded 141 runs from a wicketless 25 overs in Sydney

Analysis

Loose bowling, drops and 'predictable' tactics leave England staring at defeat

Shoaib Bashir has not been selected by England for any of the five Ashes Test in January

Opinion

Atherton: Lack of spin bowling has made Ashes one-dimensional

Ben Duckett's poor series continued as he was dismissed second ball in England's second innings in Adelaide

Analysis

Have England blinked with Bazball approach en route to Ashes defeat?

England captain Stokes consoles Will Jacks after England's third-Test defeat

Opinion

'No different' - Hussain bemoans England's old frailties after Ashes slump

England captain Stokes consoles Will Jacks after England's third-Test defeat

Exclusive

'No different' - Hussain bemoans England's old frailties after Ashes slump

Ben Duckett's poor series continued as he was dismissed second ball in England's second innings in Adelaide

Analysis

Have England blinked with Bazball approach en route to Ashes defeat?

Jofra Archer, claimed three wickets on the opening day of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide

Analysis

'Excellent' Archer leads from front as Australia rue missed opportunity

Jofra Archer, England Test cricket, The Ashes (PA Images)

Analysis

'Excellent' Archer leads from front as Australia rue missed opportunity

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes during a nets session ahead of the second Ashes Test

Opinion

Atherton: McCullum's 'overprepared' England claim 'tone deaf'

Ben Stokes, The Ashes (PA Images)

Opinion

'Stokes shows England batting template and that he is still up for the fight'

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

Opinion

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

'Caught cold' - Athers on England's 'curious, calamitous' collapse

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