Michael Andrew Atherton (born March 23, 1968) is a broadcaster, journalist and retired cricket player. He captained England in 54 test matches, more than any other player.

Mike Atherton first came to the eye of the English selectors while captaining his school, Manchester Grammar School. His performances led to his selection for the England under-19 team, which he captained aged 16. By the age of 18 he had been selected to play for Cambridge University, where he was awarded a blue. A year later he made his debut for Lancashire. During this time he would represent both his University, which he would captain to the quarter finals of the Benson & Hedges cup in 1989 and his county. In this same year he was also to make his debut for England, against Australia at Old Trafford, his home ground.

He won the title of Wisden Young Cricketer of the Year in 1990.

By 1991, however, his degenerative back condition, Ankylosing Spondylitis, which was to dog him for much of his playing career, and ultimately curtail it, first came to light, and Atherton was to miss England's winter tour to New Zealand.

By 1993, Atherton had become assured of a regular place as opening batsman and following the retirement of Graham Gooch was elevated to the post of captain, aged just 25. However, in his first full tour as captain, to the West Indies in the winter of 1993, England were heavily defeated, despite Atherton scoring a century in the final test.

He followed this with two centuries in the first two tests of the following summer's series against New Zealand. His reputation suffered a blow, however, when he was implicated for ball-tampering during the third test at Edgbaston, for which he was fined £2000. (The footage seemed to indicate tampering with the seam, as well as the infamous 'pocket full of dirt'.)

As captain, Atherton presided over very few major victories, yet was appointed an OBE in 1997 for services to cricket. He was very vocally opposed to county cricket which he saw as having little purpose. Nor was he a regular selection for the England One-day side, as a result of his slow scoring rate

He resigned as England captain following the 3-1 series defeat against the West Indes in the winter of 1997-8, though he continued for another three years as an England player, when injury permitted. He retired from first-class cricket in the summer of 2001, and has since worked as a summariser on radio and television.

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