Atherton's interesting finish to his article.

[Ram]

........ Australian wicketkeepers, like Ian Healy, routinely question the footwork of their English counterparts. Australians like to skip across and take the ball on the inside of their waists rather than in front of their bodies. Two things make this more difficult in England: the lack of bounce and the movement of the ball in the air after pitching. That movement has been in evidence throughout the summer, making it nightmarishly difficult at times. So far in this match there have been 49 byes, 33 for Prior in 170 overs and (at the time of writing) 16 for M S Dhoni in 48 overs. Occasionally Dhoni has made Prior look velvet-gloved in comparison. For Prior, and for Moores, there is work to do, but it is far too soon to rush to judgment. PS… I don't think I've ever received more abuse than after last week's article on Sri Sreesanth's beamer. Writing about Indian cricket or Indian cricketers ought to come with a health warning, such illogical passion does the topic arouse. But that should never prevent us from tackling the issues that matter, and the beamer, whether bowled accidentally or deliberately, whether bowled by Brett Lee or Sri Sreesanth, or by a wheelchair-bound black lesbian, should be penalised with a ban. The colour or character of the bowler is irrelevant, it is the damage it could inflict which matters.

[Chandan]

Wow!! Where is the link MM?

[Ram]

Here you go Chandan.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/08/12/scaths112.xml

[Sooda]

Athers deserves what he got for the Sree article though...a bit hypocritical it came across as.

[Donny]

Why hypocritical, Sooda ? He's hardly a quick bowler. Wasn't even a quick batsman. :regular_smile:

[sm332]

i dont think people had issues with him calling for a ban ... the reeking hypocrisy was startling ... it was fine when Lee did it ... but not when Santh did. Anyways everyone should be allowed to wallow in their own BS

[King]

I guess he deserved it. It is so stupid to call to ban a bowler because he bowled a beamer despite the bowler apologizing for it. I've never read a more stupid article than that one by Atherton.

[King Tendulkar]

Is ICF getting to Atherton? :hysterical::hysterical: I kid you not. This is what he has wrote in the times today about England " there is no doubt that when the pitches are slow and low, England are a more vulnerable team. They have lost five out of nine tests in such conditions, a statistic that brought the internet trolls out on monday evening, but it should not be forgotten thats England have their No 1 ranking on merit, by some outstanding cricket over a period of nearly three years." Expect some vindicative article by this loser in coming weeks against India. In another who sees the crusade against India as a battle of good versus evil!!!

[Spiderguy252]

Good news for me. I'll be bashing that s*cker's team 24x7 just like I do any other day. Maybe the banner over at the top has to be switched to a wide, grinning McGrath poster as well. That'll freak out the Pom.

[JaFanatic]

atherton sometimes accepts the truth unlike other english

[Old guy]

well i agree they did deserved no 1 and now after losing so many matches they will rightfully lose it sooner or later :dontknow: got nothing against atherton its guys like hussain i despise :P

[King Tendulkar]

Atherton is an a hole. Another who sees India as evil, while england et al are the good guys preserving cricket for the good of humaity. He and his ilk could not accept it when we were No 1 test side and rightly so on merit

[Old guy]

Atherton is an a hole. Another who sees India as evil, while england et al are the good guys preserving cricket for the good of humaity. He and his ilk could not accept it when we were No 1 test side and rightly so on merit

honestly dont know much about it.. and dont care people are always gonna whine check out wht our indian fans did with bumble

[Spiderguy252]

Maybe they should recall him. He slightly edges out Ravi Bopara and can replace him in their line-up. Good fun for the rest of us, to see him humiliated again. Perhaps by Steyn, but hopefully by Philly.

[diga]

Atherton must be a closet gay venting out his frustrations... I doubt he has a family

[King Tendulkar]

His son plays for middx U 11s or something

[Crookbond]

Atherton is spot on as always.

[MechEng]

He can live in his shell if he wants. People all over the world know that there is no "eye catching" cricketer in the England team who can captivate an audience. When India were no. 1 we had Sehwag(in good form), who's flamboyant strokeplay was a signature of us being the best. Australia had Gilchrist and Hayden who intimidated every Test side. There is no player in England, whom on looking at them I would say "Oh what an awesome side they are!". They are statistically number one, that's it.

[Spiderguy252]

There is no player in England' date= whom on looking at them I would say "Oh what an awesome side they are!". They are statistically number one, that's it.

Except Ravi Bopara! And Ian Bell! And Samit Patel! And Tim Bresnan! And Andrew Strauss!

[Crookbond]

It's one thing to castigate commentators and totally another thing to live in denial and form weird notions of yourself to prove you were better than the other.