LONDON, Aug 19: Michael Atherton says he would have sued if he had been branded a cheat and axed as England captain after being accused of ball-tampering in 1994.

Atherton says in his new autobiography being serialised by The Times: “I would, I think, have had no option but to take the matter to a court of law.

“While the loss of the captaincy would have been painful, to have been labelled a cheat permanently would have been much more damaging.”

Atherton became involved in the scandal during the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s in 1994. He was shown on television applying dust from his pocket on to the ball.

The match umpires said the condition of the ball had not been altered but Atherton, who was later fined 2,000 pounds over the affair, admits he should have been more frank with match referee Peter Burge at the time of the scandal.

The former Lancashire player did not initially tell Burge about applying dust on the ball to make it reverse swing.

“That is the thing I most regret now,” he writes. “In a sense, you can be judged by how you react in the most difficult times and I failed myself then.

“He looked fearsome, stern and headmasterly in his office that evening. In short, I panicked. I sensed that he felt I was guilty but I was not about to incriminate myself.”

After losing the match, Atherton revealed at a press conference he had used dust on the ball, even though he continued to point out the umpires said the ball had not been doctored.

He writes: “Press conference: complete shambles. Fed to the lions.”

Atherton, a compact opener with an immaculate defence, survived the scandal before finally standing down in 1998.

He retired last year after playing 115 Tests and averaging 37.69, his trademark innings a back-to-the-wall 185 not out spanning almost 11 hours to save a Test match in Johannesburg.—Reuters