GGOATRANK
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Cricket · Opening batter · England

Michael Atherton

1989–2001 · England's long-serving captain who scored 7,728 Test runs at the top of the order.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
81.1
Cultural & brand footprint 52/100 · total legacy 74.1
Test runs
7,728
Tests played
115
Test centuries
16
Tests as captain
54
Highest score
185

Category profile

Dominance
76
Peak
90
Longevity
82
Honours
74
Statistics
86

Career timeline · Centuries per year

SeasonCenturies per yearShare of career
198935
199045
199155
199265
199374
199484
199594
199684
199774
199865
199955
200045
200135

Data sources

  • ESPNcricinfo Statsguru
  • ICC official records
  • Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Michael Atherton ranks #253 in Cricket

Michael Atherton ranks 253rd among Cricket athletes on GOAT Rank and 2078th of 4013 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 81.1 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 76, Peak 90, Longevity 82, Honours 74, Statistics 86. Those categories are normalised against the full Cricket reference universe of 294 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 1989–2001 with 13 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1995, which sets the Peak component at 90. Peak is the defining strength of the profile at 90 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes test runs 7728, tests played 115, test centuries 16, tests as captain 54.

Immediately ahead sits Ted Dexter on 81.2, a gap of 0.1 points. Directly behind is Ben Duckett on 81.0. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Michael Atherton GOAT Score explained

Dominance76/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Atherton stood above the field while competing. Scored 76/100 against the full Cricket cohort.
Peak90/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1995. Scored 90/100.
Longevity82/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 12 years of competition and 13 recorded seasons. Scored 82/100.
Honours74/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 74/100.
Statistics86/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 86/100.

Michael Atherton — frequently asked

Is Michael Atherton the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Michael Atherton ranks 253rd in Cricket with a GOAT Score of 81.1, behind Don Bradman on 96.8.
What is Michael Atherton's GOAT Score?
81.1 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 76 (25%), Peak 90 (20%), Longevity 82 (20%), Honours 74 (20%), Statistics 86 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Michael Atherton rank all time?
2078th of 4013 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 253rd within Cricket.
Michael Atherton vs Ted Dexter: who ranks higher?
Ted Dexter, on 81.2 against Michael Atherton's 81.1 — a margin of 0.1 points.
Compare with Bradman