Whistler in the Press Box

When you hear melodious whistling in the press box, you know Mike Atherton is around.

When you hear melodious whistling in the press box, you know Mike Atherton is around. The former England captain was one of the many ex-players doing television commentary during the World Cup. Cricketers too need a break from cricket. So Sunil Gavaskar would step out of the booth and enact impersonations. Sourav Ganguly would pose for photos (barely smiling). Atherton would whistle. Strolling about with hands in the pockets of his khakis, song emerging from his lips, Atherton would inadvertently soothe the frayed nerves of the volatile occupants of the press box. This organic, Lancashire-made i-Pod held no Hindi tunes. But it did a particularly good job of Conquest of Paradise, the famous tune by composer Vangelis that would be played before the national anthems of competing teams.