As former England captain-turned-commentator Michael Atherton has seen life both on and off the field in the great game of cricket, he reckons things have become harder for players in terms of the level of media and public scrutiny there is because of the advance of social media.

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“I think it is harder for players now than I played," the 52-year-old told Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a podcast. "There was no social media when I played. Of course, you still had criticism from commentators and journalists and maybe the tabloid media was a bit stronger in England then than it is now."

"The social media interest didn’t exist then and I think it is tougher for young players now as it is very hard to get away from social media. The players are encouraged to be on social media for all kinds of reasons: for personal sponsorships and general availability."

There is no balance in reaction to performances over Twitter, Facebook and other mediums, where instant praise and recognition could soon turn into severe criticism from the same people who were earlier raving about you. 

"It is one of those things that you have to find a way of dealing with," Atherton said. "You can either say to yourself, ‘Well, I am not going to engage with it by not reading the papers’."

"But, in the end, usually these things get to you somehow. People will make you aware of what is been said or what is been written. It is tricky and difficult. You just have to find a way of coping."

People are in the know-how of everything about a player even before he has really made it big at the highest level, leaving nothing personal for the player to keep to himself. 

"That is how life has gone a bit. People are much more open than perhaps they were in my generation. Today, in fact, there is an eight-part Amazon Prime documentary series on the Australia cricket team where the cameras have been in the dressing room," Atherton said. "They have been in every team meeting and I think the filmmakers had 2,600 hours of footage there and that’s just outside of the cricket."

“People are much more open than they were and with that come advantages: you get to see people as they really are and you get a great deal of authenticity about it."

"But that lack of privacy can be tricky and difficult. Players need to feel that they have somewhere in a cricket ground where they can let off steam, without the cameras prying. I would be wary about cameras in the dressing room all the time if I was playing."