Mike Atherton's interview with Steve Harmison after the close of the third day's play at Sydney has thrown up some interesting reactions..... Harmison's apathetic responses to some probing questions from Athers were obviously extremely disappointing, if, sadly, unsurprising. The difference in the style of reactions to this from two former England captains- Athers himself, and Nasser Hussain, has been particularly interesting. Hussain commentates as he captained: full of passion. "Ask the coach? Steve, how long have you been around? Ask yourself mate," he bellowed at the camera, eyes bulging, forehead gleaming. What he said was true, no doubt. It made for good television too, but still left one feeling slightly uneasy. The frenetic manner in which he voiced his thoughts, as though he were still central to the action, betrays how difficult he has found it to give himself a distance from the game that is obviously still his life. Athers, on the other hand, has broadened his perspective, writing a book on gambling among other projects, and this separation from the game has clearly benefitted his writing. His response to Harmison's words came a few days later in the Sunday Telegraph, and were delivered with a cool, considered, clinical touch which gave them far more clout than Hussain's tirade. Atherton is a Cambridge graduate and a good writer, but if Hussain is to prove himself worth listening to, he must learn some of the detachment that has become a hallmark of his former team-mate. If not, he will end up like another former England captain, Ian Botham. Botham's eagerness to offer up sensational opinions on just about everything illustrates how great players do not always make great analysts, and explains why people stopped paying attention to him a long time ago.
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