LANCASHIRE officials will let Mike Atherton decide whether to apologise to the county's members for his attack on Championship cricket when they meet him this week.

Chairman Jack Simmons shrugged off a demand that Atherton should be disciplined at Saturday's Annual General Meeting.

But Simmons said he was "sad and disappointed" at the former England captain's comments, and confirmed that he and chief executive Jim Cumbes would be meeting Atherton to discuss them this week.

"Myself and Jim will have a word with him and make sure he's aware of what he has done," said the chairman. "He'll have to buy us a pint before we accept his apology, and maybe he will make an apology later, I'm not sure."

Member Ken Thomas had opened the "Any other business" section of the meeting by asking Simmons to comment on Atherton, saying: "I would like to think that the county has taken some action about the comments made about county cricket by Michael Atherton.

"I've nothing against Michael, God bless him, but I do think it quite deplorable that someone should rubbish the county championship, someone who has not done an awful lot for Lancashire in the last five years, and received over £300,000 tax free from his benefit." Simmons responded: "I'm sad and disappointed at what he said, especially about the Championship. "I just thought straight away Michael, how have you reached your level of talent to play for England? Through the Championship.

"I'm sure he will realise that, I'm positive he'll be sad at the way it came out.

"It is sad that at this present time we haven't got a sponsor at Lancashire for either the one-dayers or the Championship, and neither are England finding it easy to get sponsors. So maybe those words he mentioned haven't been helpful."

Simmons also sent out a strong message to Andy Flintoff when he was asked about the England all-rounder's new one-year contract.

"If he wants more or his agent wants more than the rest of the senior players at Lancashire side then he would not not be playing here," Simmons insisted. "However I am pleased to say that when I spoke to Andy, he said he didn't want more than the other senior players."

Cumbes revealed that Lancashire are still waiting for confirmation from the ICC that India will play Pakistan at Old Trafford on September 23 as part of their three-match series, with the other games at Edgbaston and the Oval.

"It depends on the political situation with regards to Kashmir," explained Cumbes.

Paul Allott, Keith Hayhurst, David Hodgkiss and vice chairman Murray Birnie were re-elected to the committee, and former vice chairman Judge Edward Slinger and Ribblesdale League stalwart Jack Cross were elected as vice presidents.

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