Mike Atherton



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Full name: Mike Atherton

Area of interest: Cricket

Journals: The Times

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Website: TimesOnline / Mike Atherton

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Articles: 2011

 * accused facing lifetime of regrets'' - If there is a sporting equivalent of death row, then for the past few months Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been excruciatingly acquainted with its pleasures - 5th February
 * Bash? Come on, get your priorities right'' - The immediate aftermath of the Ashes provided further amusement to those of us who looked on throughout the past seven weeks and marvelled at how the wheel had come full circle - 13th January
 * of the moment: captain Andrew Strauss has succeeded by concentrating on next ball'' - Imagine two equally talented marathon runners at the start of a race. Both have an equal chance of success. By the end, one will inevitably have broken… - 7th January



Articles: 2010

 * to hail Andy Flower power in cult of coach'' - Not many coaches of sporting teams face the challenges of a cricket coach. At the same time as competing in Test cricket, for example, Flower has to plan ahead - 22nd December
 * should keep faith with Finn'' - Middlesex fast bowler deserves consideration that is being shown to Collingwood - 21st December
 * cracks show in Australia machine'' - The most worrying thing for Cricket Australia this winter should not have been the bluntness of the home team’s attack in Brisbane or the dramatic capitulation at Adelaide, but the meek opposition offered up in Hobart by Australia’s supposedly second-best team - 17th December
 * our yesteryears highlight England’s progress'' - It is extremely tempting in this situation to write about Australia. I mean, it is not as if I’ve had the opportunity to savage them very often - 9th December
 * but rewarding, chess is ideal for our age'' - Discipline, strategy and self-reliance, this game is a familiar challenge for an opening bat - 1st December
 * give England narrowest of edges'' - Gradually, since 2005, the number of England players who would have made a composite team has increased, so that for the 2009 series in England there were almost as many England players as Australians for the first time. How does the 2010 vintage measure up? - 30th November
 * Flower’s meticulous work is almost done'' - The role of a cricket coach might best be compared to that of a racehorse trainer - 13th November
 * will always speak louder than words'' - Sparing words and sparring words: Stoute was not keen to boast about his triumph at Longchamp - 15th October
 * deserves to be held as butt of derision'' - When Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, rang Giles Clarke ten minutes before the off at the Oval and asked the ECB chairman to consider cancelling the match, it was the action of a man who had lost his nerve - 23rd September
 * old-style values to be applauded'' - The England cricket team and the County Championship occupy such distinct, almost parallel, universes these days that any recourse to the adage that when Yorkshire are strong, England are strong is plainly ridiculous - 16th September
 * in Cardiff may be game’s tipping point'' -Tuesday’s disappointing Twenty20 international could lead to supporters forcing a revolution in the game’s incoherent fixture list - 11th September
 * in Cardiff may be game’s tipping point'' - Tuesday’s disappointing Twenty20 international could lead to supporters forcing a revolution in the game’s incoherent fixture list - 9th September
 * Sir Ronnie Flanagan offers ICC hope'' - Flanagan was at Lord’s yesterday alongside Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, at a press conference designed to reassure cricket lovers that last Sunday’s revelations represented a blip rather than the tip of an iceberg - 5th September
 * the culture of greed has a vice-like grip'' - Imagine the scene. You are an inexperienced player on your second tour. The captain, a revered figure, calls a team meeting without the presence of the coach... - 2nd September
 * to drop KevinPietersen is powerful omission statement'' - 1st September
 * Amir can come to symbolise reform if proved that the mark was overstepped'' - The crime, if proven, is obvious. What is not so straightforward is who perpetrated it and who the victims are - 31st August
 * great cricketing casino in the East'' - The sub-continent, now the financial and administrative power-house of the world game, is where betting on cricket is at its fiercest, with hundreds of millions of dollars wagered on each one-day international - 30th August
 * c Points System b Heavy Roller .... 0'' - With good bowlers comes further scrutiny of batting techniques as the realisation dawns that all those runs over the past few years might have masked a few flaws - 26th August
 * surface resumes for Graeme Swann at Oval for Third Test'' - Not since Erwin Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment 75 years ago has a man’s pussy been the focus of so much attention - 18th August
 * must clear mind of technical issues'' - Getting into, or even back into, the England team should never be easy. It stands to reason, therefore, that when the selectors take the decision to drop someone, they should do so only after a great deal of thought - 17th August
 * expects, but its players don’t any more'' - The footballers who snubbed the national team are professionals first, patriots second - 11th August
 * coach the life out of gifted youngsters'' - 5th August
 * Muttiah Muralitharan, the humble hero who changed game'' - There are those who will tell you Muttiah Muralitharan’s gains have been ill-gotten. You know the types: the sneerers, the cynics, those who see a dark lining in every silver cloud. Do not listen to such people - 22nd July
 * Flower the key ingredient in England’s rise'' - For someone who originally hated coaching, when forced upon him as part of his contract as a cricketer for Zimbabwe, Flower’s success as an international coach has been extraordinary - 16th July
 * to end Zimbabwe Test exile persuasive'' - So what has changed? Superficially, much has - 9th July
 * Ponting dispossessed of tools for revenge'' - For the first time in a long time, England can lay claim to be ahead on pure talent - 3rd July
 * can learn from Wooden gospel'' - England’s footballers do not need a football coach, they need a life coach - 24th June
 * Twenty20 faces acid test'' - Oh, for a vuvuzela or two. While the World Cup has been played to a backdrop of noise, colour and enthusiasm, the reaction to the new domestic Twenty20 competition, now in its third week, has been distinctly underwhelming - 17th June
 * storm throws up lesson for cricket'' - Baseball howler passes off with relative quiet and shows that decisions should be left in the hands those chosen to officiate - 17th June
 * yards will tell us how far Finn can go'' - Form, fitness and coping with expectation are all barriers to the bowler translating a good start into something better - 3rd June
 * to Shine building on openers’ vision'' - Five years on, the charity is still providing opportunity for youngsters from state schools to get involved in cricket - 21st May
 * go from laggards to leaders'' - No longer do we look on the one-day team and despair at a relative lack of power and athleticism - 17th May
 * at the top sweeps England to power'' - Michael Lumb and Kevin Pietersen have been the driving forces behind the performance delivered by Andy Flower’s men - 13th May
 * of hope that crosses troubled boundaries'' - Mike Atherton finds fascinating film grants access all areas to rise of Afghanistan cricket team from refugee camp in Pakistan - 5th May
 * Modi, the IPL will scale back its excesses'' - Even minus its self-styled commissioner, the Indian Premier League has come too far in its short history to be easily derailed - 5th May
 * ECB conference call really a first-class idea?'' - Move to a conference-style system will produce an uncompetitive environment ill suited to the demands of the national team - 22nd April
 * poverty turns defeat into priceless gift'' - Some things matter more than results, and cricket provides rich nourishment in a diet that is low on self-esteem - 25th March
 * bottle a lesson for present crop'' - Today’s fast bowlers lack the stamina of their predecessors - 18th March
 * Manchester at night is worse'' - The Times Chief Cricket Correspondent charts seven days in Bangladesh, including his own portfolio of photographs- 17th March
 * caught to perfection on camera'' - Trott’s dismissal captures prestigious award for Gareth Copley - 4th March
 * for England to end this culture of failure'' - Prolific progress of Hashim Amla raises questions with failures of the likes of Samit Patel and Sajid Mahmood in Tests - 26th February
 * for governing bodies to look sharp'' - Mike Atherton on the money men changing the face of cricket - 13th February
 * Terry doesn’t know half of it'' - Compared with role of leading England cricket team, football equivalent is a sinecure and might as well be ditched - 4th February
 * wrecks England selection policy'' -Captain’s decision to opt out of Bangladesh tour suggests players will again be able to pick and choo se winter trips - 21st January
 * Ntini’s absence raises awkward question for South Africa'' - South African cricket must ask itself why there has only been one black African cricketer of note in the past 15 years - 14th January



Articles: 2009

 * of change that put game to test'' - The Times Chief Cricket Correspondent identifies the ten most significant moments for cricket in the "noughties" - 31st December
 * of game lost in the rise of machine'' - The Decision Review System is prejudicial to the paying spectator and damnably difficult to understand - 28th December
 * a champion for the lost generations'' - Behind the story of the fast bowler's achievement in reaching 100 Test caps is a tale of remarkable heart and spirit - 17th December
 * should throw caution to wind'' - Mike Atherton says touring side must exploit South Africa’s fading confidence when evenly matched sides meet in first Test - 12th December
 * finally emerging from one-day shadows'' - 10th December
 * that Cook might want to follow'' - An annotated version of a Mike Brearley talk that could prove of value as Essex man prepares for Bangladesh - 5th December
 * cricket dying in India'' - Pitches that favour batsmen and reduce bowlers to second-class citizens are killing the game on the sub-continent - 4th December
 * Tendulkar has that Bradman didn’t'' - The ‘Little Master’ is a brilliant batsman, but in an era when helmets and protection have changed nature of the game - 3rd December
 * of excess earns New York Yankees rich reward in baseball'' - New York side’s World Series victory was a tribute to their elder statesmen but also to the financial muscle of their owner - 12th November
 * an evening without Tyson unfolded'' - Former world champion shows little appreciation of timekeeping having been reduced to a place on the after-dinner circuit - 6th November
 * Test Championship could reignite game'' - Plans are being proposed that would make every match meaningful and give five-day international cricket a needed boost - 5th November
 * spirits lifted by golden memories'' - The iconic moments and images that encapsulate all that is to be relished about the game for one former England captain - 16th October
 * League more than a bling thing'' - Inaugural competition with its associated riches illustrates the direction in which the game is rapidly heading - 8th October
 * clouds lie over moral high ground as cricketers examine Spirit of the Game'' - 25th September
 * game must go back to basics'' - With Champions Trophy upon us, format needs to deregulate, meaning no powerplays and fewer fielding restrictions - 24th September
 * cannot let Flintoff dictate terms'' - The day must come when the interests of the freelance all-rounder and Andy Flower, the national team director, collide - 19th September
 * England one-day side to beat the world'' - The country that invented the shorter format of the game is not very good at it — but this team would take some toppling - 10th September
 * set awarded their cap, but will it fit?'' - Worcestershire among those concerned that balance of wealth is beginning to mirror football as the rich get richer - 3rd September
 * is not one of the greats'' - The England all-rounder will get a hero's send-off on his final Test appearance, but can he be called a cricket legend? - 20th August
 * talk no match for tough spirit'' - There is a yawning gap between Australia and England that has nothing to do with aura and everything to do with toughness - 13th August
 * team must include Faith, Hope and Freddie'' - Despite such an emphatic defeat, England should not panic. All they need is a result pitch, a returning hero, and a miracle - 10th August
 * 'whereabouts' rule a necessary evil to keep game clean'' - To maintain a largely untarnished image, authorities must insist upon players saying where they are at given time - 6th August
 * Donald off mark on doctoring balls'' - Ball-tampering issue must be addressed, but South African's radical laissez faire plan is surely not the answer - 4th August
 * story deserves wider audience'' - New biography of the Nottinghamshire and England fast bowler of Bodyline series fame is a testament to why the Ashes matter - 9th July
 * few good men ready for battle'' - Mike Atherton says that England’s stability in recent times has ensured that they have a squad that almost picks itself - 6th July
 * for man, England shade Ashes'' - In 2009, for the first time in more than two decades, Australia will go into the Test series behind on pure ability - 6th July
 * women earn Gordon Brown's accolade'' - ECB funding has produced team of world-beaters and role models - 25th June
 * Twenty20 could be cricket's saviour'' - Forget the music, dancing girls and fireworks - the shortest format of the game has proved that it can speak for itself - 18th June
 * Pietersen drags hosts from the precipice'' - England's victory over India offered further proof of their reliance on the leading batsman who loves the big stage - 16th June
 * cricket nurse a World Twenty20 hangover?'' - Alcohol and the sport are natural bedfellows but as Andrew Symonds discovered, you have to careful where and when you do it - 11th June
 * sixes and sevens to sixes and fours'' - Paul Collingwood's side rebound from opening debacle to show they are taking World Twenty20 as seriously as everyone else - 8th June
 * red-faced amid explosion of orange'' - All credit to the Netherlands for a wonderful performance but England got their team selection all wrong - 6th June
 * wary of World Twenty20 banana skin'' - Dirk Nannes, who will spearhead the Netherlands attack at Lord's could be the last in a dying breed of cricket mavericks - 5th June
 * bond broken in West Indies cricket'' - The touring team's lack of professionalism during their sorry stay in England has helped to destroy a proud tradition - 28th May
 * Chanderpaul’s bat always a precision too'' - the West Indies run machine is like a butterfly among the elephants of a game dependent on power - 21st May
 * reveals talent as a force for change'' - The sport has brought together Jews and Arabs in a game that has proved it can unite as easily as it can divide - 14th May
 * to lay down the law to England players'' - Administrators must take strong line over central contracts if internationals are to remain dominant form of the game - 7th May
 * close to reaching deal for neutral Tests'' - Negotiations are at an advanced stage for Pakistan and Australia to play a two-match series in England in July 2010 - 6th May
 * Strauss welcomes England's new faces'' - Captain says that having Tim Bresnam and Graham Onions in the dressing-room is perfect tonic before the first Test - 6th May
 * American dream doomed to failure'' - Another entrepreneur with dollar signs in his eyes wants to crack a market he will find does not exist - 30th April
 * a year of Stanford, a summer of hope'' - With the Ashes and the World Twenty20, the ECB has the chance to showcase English cricket and must take this opportunity - 28th April
 * Lewis Hamilton moment'' - The former England captain offers advice to Britain's world champion on how to ride out the storm that is engulfing him - 4th April
 * strife at root of one-day woes'' - A muddled county fixture list has done little to help England's recent struggles in limited-overs international cricket - 19th March
 * are not justifying their wages'' - Series defeat in the Caribbean was brought about by an inherently cautious attitude and a bowling attack that lacks bite - 12th March
 * Flower can bloom as next England coach'' - Zimbabwean has all the necessary ingredients to make a success of the role, including the backing of Kevin Pietersen - 12th March
 * must not be slammed on Pakistan'' - Cricket must do all it can to preserve the most beguiling and unpredictable of nations - 5th March
 * fears for the future of Asian cricket'' - Lahore terror attacks could have devastating effect on the game in the sub-continent. (Q & A on the Lahore terrorist attack) - 4th March
 * the Twenty20 bubble be next to burst?'' - Even the wealthy franchises of the IPL are feeling the effects of the global economic downturn as sponsors withdraw - 26th February
 * Stanford: a sorry tale of greed and shame'' - It is not good enough to say that the ECB's contract with the Texan was signed with 'the best of intentions' - 19th February
 * was used as a rich man's plaything. Its fawning bosses got what they deserve'' - The ECB is facing a contrasting situation from the first time it introduced Allen Stanford to an English audience - 18th February
 * England must tackle the Ian Bell conundrum - Instead of dropping the batsman for the second Test, the selectors should consider promoting him, says Mike Atherton - 12th February
 * Batting disaster brings back unhappy memories - The former captain recalls his England side's batting calamity in Trinidad in 1994, when they were dismissed for 46 - 9th February



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