Michael Atherton biography, married, wife, isabelle de caires, former cricketer, broadcaster, journalist, family, retirement, net worth

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<p>Michael Atherton is a known as a former famous English Cricket player. He later choose to be a sports journalist and commentator after his career was over. Michael has received the Sports Journalist of the Year award and he is widely loved for his insightful commentary.</p>

<h2>Background</h2>

<p>Michael Atherton was born on March 23, 1968 in Failsworth, Lancashire, England. While there is not much information available about Michael’s parents or family, it is known that Michael’s father, Alan Atherton played for Manchester United as a goalkeeper.</p>

<p>Michael attended Manchester Grammar School where he was a member of the school’s cricket team. Michael was a captain of the team and scored almost thirty five hundred runs and took one hundred seventy wickets. These performances led to Michael's selection to England's under-19 team of which he also became captain at the age of sixteen.</p>

<p>Michael represented Lancashire Schools from 1982 to 1986 and in 1983 he won the Jack Hobbss Memorial Award as the Outstanding Schoolboy Cricketer at the under-15 level. Michael later enrolled into Downing College in Cambridge where he graduated with a degree in History. Michael played college cricket while attending Downing and his early rise through the ranks earned him the nickname "FEC", which was said to have stood for "Future England Captain."</p>

<h2>Pro Cricket Career</h2>

<p>After graduation, Michael was selected for England’s National Cricket Team. Michael’s first match was a test match against Australia. In 1989, Michael was picked as the vice-captain of the team for a game against Zimbabwe. Michael also played in several matches against New Zealand and India. Michael won the Young Cricketer of the Year award in 1990. Michael Atherton was considered to be a leading batsman for England during the 1990's. Michael often played the anchoring role for England during this time. It was during the winter of 1990 that Michael was tested in the Ashes tour of Australia. Although Michael made a century in the third test in Sydney, he averaged only thirty one for his two hundred seventy nine runs and England lost by the score of 3-0.</p>

<p>In 1993, Michael was given the responsibility to lead the team as a captain. He captained the team in a series against the West Indies but unfortunately his team lost the series 3–1. During this time, Michael was accused of ball tampering and had a fine of 2000 GBP imposed on him. This was a sad day for his fans and Michael's reputation suffered a wicked blow. Michael denied all allegations of ball tampering but the evidence spoke against him and the charges were not dropped as television pictures were damning and showed Michael deliberately putting dirt on the ball. Michael was not breaking any rules as it is widely known that plenty of bowlers improve their grip in this manner. After this unfortunate incident Michael and England headed to Leeds for the second Test. Michael played one of his best innings, grinding out ninety nine before being caught and bowled by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McMillan">Brian McMillan</a>. Atherton believed that this innings was the best answer he could have given to the 'gutter press'. Michael led England to a win in the third Test at the Oval, tying the series, despite failing to score a century.</p>

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<p>During this time during Michael’s career, England had success against the lower rated teams and there was hope among fans that the team was improving. Yet when faced with stiffer competition from Australia or Pakistan, the team continued to struggle. After five years as captain Michael made his retirement plans public in 2001 revealing that he was unable to continue the game because of a backache that troubled him constantly. This health issue was apparently due to ankylosing spondylitis and severely hampered Michael’s flexibility. Despite all his success, Michael has the unwelcome honor of holding the lowest batting average of any player having scored more than six thousand runs in Test cricket.</p>

<h2>Life After Cricket</h2>

<p>After retiring from the game of cricket, Michael decided to pursue a career as a journalist and landed a job with The Sunday Telegraph. In 2002, Michael was approached by Channel 4 and was given the opportunity to become a commentator. Michael worked for BBC Radio as well as TalkSport. Between 2002 and 2005 Michael worked at home and abroad covering all sorts of different matches. In 2005, Michael went to work for Sky Sports. In 2008, Michael also started working as a correspondent. Michael’s career as a broadcaster took him to great heights and he was presented with the Sports Journalist of the Year award which was sponsored by the British Press. The judges noted that bestowing Michael with the award was "a unanimous choice" and praised Michael's writing abilities. They agreed that Michael took on subjects "way beyond cricket" and noted that in doing so "the brilliance of his writing shines."</p>

<p>Michael provided the commentary during the World Cup Matches in 2011. Michael’s commentary is loved by a wide audience and he often performs as Master of Ceremonies during the post-match for international matches in England where he presents awards and interviews players. Michael's commentary is known for its dry wit and often humorous views on the subject of cricket. Michael is able to bring a wide range of knowledge and experience to play during his commentary that is often appreciated by his fans.</p>

<p>Michael Atherton wrote an autobiography in 2012 entitled “Opening Up”. The book contains many charming stories and Michael notes that his early successes were also tempered with humility, noting that for his schoolmates "FEC" did not mean Future England Captain, but rather "Future Educated Captain" with the implication being that he was rather dumb. The autobiography was Michael’s second book. The first book, Gambling: A Story of Triumph and Disaster was published in 2006.</p>

<h2>Personal Life</h2>

<p>Michael is married to Isabelle de Caires but there is no information available as whether or not they have any children. The current salary of this former cricketer is private and his total net worth has also not been made public.</p>

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