Michael Andrew Atherton was born on 23 March 1968 in Failsworth, Manchester. He is the son of A Atherton and has a brother, CD Atherton.
He attended Manchester Grammar School and then Downing College, Cambridge, where he played for Cambridge University. He made his first-class debut for Lancashire and Cambridge in 1987.
Atherton played his entire county career for Lancashire and captained England in a record 54 Tests. He retired in 2001 and moved into journalism and broadcasting.
He joined Sky Sports in 2005 and is a mainstay of their Test and international coverage alongside Nasser Hussain, Stuart Broad, and others. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two children
