The former prime minister, John Major, made his recommendation before England's victory at Edgbaston but when Atherton leads England into the second Test at Lord's next Thursday it will be for the 42nd time, breaking the record number of Tests as England captain held by Peter May, CBE.
He would like nothing better, obviously, than to celebrate with what would be only the second Test victory over Australia at Lord's this century, but Australia's chances of getting back into the series for the Ashes have been improved for two reasons over the last 48 hours. Paul Reiffel has arrived, bowled efficiently at Trent Bridge, and will strengthen the attack. Additionally, England have learnt that they will definitely be without Dominic Cork all summer because of a hernia operation.
England can do without Cork the prima donna, as he has sometimes been since he bowled out the West Indies at Lord's two seasons ago. But he is an all-round cricketer of considerable flair and when he is fit and emotionally stable, he would strengthen the side. He will return, no doubt, a wiser man but whether it is for the tour to the West Indies early next year will depend on an evaluation of his fitness and other people's form in the middle of August.
Chairman David Graveney and his fellow selectors, Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, will pick their team for Lord's tonight without a formal meeting. The 13 who assembled at Edgbaston the victorious XI plus Adam Hollioake and Phil Tufnell - will no doubt be asked to Lord's for practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and it may well be that Mike Smith, of Gloucestershire, the current pick of the left-arm-over men, and Ashley Cowan, Essex's fast-improving 22-year-old fast-medium bowler, will be asked to join the nets, too.
Lord's, of course, is where every cricketer wants to play, and the younger the better. Ben Hollioake showed last month how the place can inspire a cricketer and it is 51 years since the 13-year-old Colin Cowdrey made his first indelible mark on the game by scoring 75 and 44, not to mention taking eight for 117 with his leg-breaks, for Tonbridge against Clifton. This morning, it was announced that Sir Colin, already one of the most decorated and celebrated of all cricketers, who made 22 hundreds for England, led Kent to a championship and England to victory in the West Indies, and has been president of MCC, the ICC and the Lord's Taverners, is to become a Lord.
He will join Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the ECB, not to mention two recent MCC presidents, the Lords Bramall and Griffiths, to give a considerable cricketing voice in the upper chamber, although Lord Cowdrey's special brief is intended to be as a spokesman for school sport.
Cricketing honours also go to Test umpire David Shepherd and to a tireless worker for youth cricket in Northamptonshire, John Malfait.