Latest news with #AlecStewart
India Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Sai Sudharsan manifested India Test call-up with Dukes ball practice: Alec Stewart
Former England cricketer Alec Stewart has given insights into his special Dukes ball practice with the hope of earning an India Test call-up. Sudharsan earned his maiden Test call-up for the upcoming series against England, set to begin from June 20. The 23-year-old has been scoring a plethora of runs across formats of late and is expected to make his debut in the upcoming Alec Stewart shared an anecdote from Sudharsan's county stint with Surrey across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Stewart, who was also the director of cricket at Surrey, was effusive in his praise of the Indian youngster. He also revealed how the Tamil Nadu batter used to take Dukes ball with him to practice back home to make sure that he was ready if an opportunity arose for an India call-up."When he's gone back home, he's taken some of our Dukes cricket balls back with him. I didn't charge him for them and just let him have them. But, no he had that forward-thinking [mindset] and trained with those balls, so that when he comes back to us, or hopefully [is] picked for India on tour, he'll have had nice practice against the Dukes cricket ball as well,' Alex Stewart was quoted as saying by Furthermore, Stewart dissected Sudharsan's meticulous technique of playing the ball late, which is a key to success in England."He plays the ball late, and that's the most important thing here. If you go too hard and get too far out in front of yourself, when the ball seams, you're not in control, then your bat can get outside of your eyeline, whereas he plays it under his eyeline, plays it under his eyes, and plays it late. And even if he does nick it a little bit, like Kane Williamson, for example - you can nick it, but it still falls short of slip and that again is a real attribute of Sai's,' he the 29 first class matches so far, Sudharsan has scored 1957 runs at an average of 39.93 with seven hundreds and five fifties to his name. He recently won the Orange Cap and the Emerging Player of the season in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) after finishing as the leading run scorer with 759 runs from 15 innings. He will be eager to continue his marvellous form in the upcoming series, if given an opportunity in the playing XI.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
ALEC STEWART ON GRAHAM THORPE: He was England's greatest batter of his era, a special person and a great mate. I hope he knew how much he was loved
Alec Stewart, who captained England in 15 Tests, played in 67 Tests and 66 one-day internationals with Graham Thorpe, who died last year. Here, in an extract from Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, he pays tribute to his great friend… Graham and I used to drive around a lot together – he lived only ten minutes from me in Epsom – and I especially remember the car journey north to Nottingham in 1993. We were 2–0 down in the Ashes, and he was about to make his Test debut in a new-look England team. You would have forgiven him some nerves, but it was as if we were going to a Surrey game. He was never one to make cricket bigger than it was. His attitude was: it is still a ball coming down at me, no matter who I'm playing against, or who's bowling. And while he got bounced out by Merv Hughes in the first innings for not many, he scored a wonderful century in the second. There was never any doubt he had the talent or the temperament for international cricket. It was a reminder of one of Graham's greatest strengths: he was rarely in awe of anyone, but he had great respect for everyone. He backed himself to do whatever the job required, and got on with it in a quiet, unassuming way. He was an excellent footballer, good enough to play for England Under-18. Dave Sexton, then manager of the Under-21 side, was guest of honour at the game, and went round the dressing-room asking who everyone played for. He was getting all the usual answers: Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea. Then he got to Graham: 'Old Farnhamians'. Thorpey never got above his station, or blew his own trumpet. He liked to do things his way, and each decision he made was always thought through. It is common knowledge that he would treat some official events with scepticism, at times to the irritation of the management. Most famously, he refused to attend an event in Canterbury before the 1999 World Cup, when I was captain. I tried to persuade him to go, because I did not want him to get into trouble, or for it to become an issue for the squad. But he refused, so I told him the following morning it hadn't gone down well with the ECB, and it would be in his and everyone's interests if he apologised to the group, to ensure he only got a gentle clip round the ear from the hierarchy, rather than something more serious. He finally agreed to the plan, and we walked into the room with David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, and a couple of other ECB personnel. He must have forgotten my advice, as he immediately expressed his thoughts in no uncertain fashion, asking them how it could help England win the World Cup if he had gone. He made a good point, of course, even if he did not quite see the bigger picture, and it cost him a sizeable fine. Graham did not do this kind of thing with any malice; it was more a matter of principle. And he certainly knew his own mind. When he first came on to the scene, in 1988, as a full-time professional Surrey cricketer, he was a relatively quiet lad, but steely-eyed. You could tell he knew where he wanted to get to: he just needed to work out how to get there. The funny thing was, due to a number of injuries, he made his Surrey debut as a swing bowler, and even claimed David Gower as his first victim. But he was, what, 72mph and five-foot-not-a-lot, so that was never going to be a sensible long-term option, for him or for Surrey. More importantly, his batting was going from strength to strength, his reputation enhanced with almost every innings he played. He was selected for England A only two years after his first-class debut, and Keith Fletcher – who was then the A-team coach – really took a shine to him. Fletch did not just admire his batting: he loved that he was a quick learner, and so determined. Fletch looked out for him, and Thorpey learned a lot from the relationship. Graham loved cricket, but he was not a badger, in the way it can become all- encompassing for some. He was naturally competitive, having grown up with two older brothers, Ian and Alan, and was always better walking out at 40 for three than 300 for three. He liked a challenge, and was at his best when it was hard work. Above all, he loved to solve problems, and take on tough situations. When he started out with England, he was still developing his back-foot play. The cut, pull and hook came more naturally to me, and on the 1993-94 tour in Barbados we were talking about the importance of having those shots at Test level. He worked hard to develop them, and became a more expansive strokemaker, while remaining very selective and precise in when to take the attack to the opposition, and when to sit in. His swivel pull, right leg in the air, became a trademark shot, with many a bowler who dropped short soon on the receiving end. He had been prepared to put in the hours on the training ground to work on a slight weakness, which he turned into a real strength. He was a natural against spin. After Graham Gooch retired in 1994-95, and before Marcus Trescothick came into the England set-up in 2000, Thorpey was by far our best player of slow bowling. Whether it was easier playing Muttiah Muralitharan as a left-hander, I am not sure – perhaps it was, until his doosra came along. But Murali was still a real handful, and Graham played him beautifully, with great skill. He also got big runs against the likes of Shane Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq. He did not destroy spin with big sixes, but mostly manipulated the ball around, finding the gaps with ease. The key against spin was that he did not commit himself early. He played a lot off the back foot, whereas many of us looked to go forward with harder hands, and might get caught bat–pad. He was quick on his feet, and had softer hands, so he had much more control. The hundred he made at Lahore in 2000-01, when he scored just one four on his way to three figures, was a masterclass. A few months later, he made 113 and 32, both not out, in the deciding Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, helping limit Murali to two wickets in the match. We won both those series, and Thorpey was a major reason for our success, confirming his status as England's best all-round batter of the era. Those innings, plus his century against South Africa at The Oval in 2003, when he came back into the team after injury and some time away from the game, are the ones that stand out for me. A total of 100 Test caps tells you his class and, had it not been for back issues that troubled him for a large part of his career, he would easily have played at least another 30. If you did not know him very well, you might have thought he was stand- offish. He was not: he cared about people, was loyal, and had a great sense of humour which he didn't always share with the outside world. He would have been an exceptionally good Test vice-captain if he had ever had the chance (and let's not forget he captained England in a one-day series in Sri Lanka). At team meetings, he rarely said a word, but he was incredibly observant. He would notice if someone was struggling, and go up to them later, one on one, and ask how they were, or had they thought of this or that to help solve a problem. He had life skills, as well as cricket skills. If you were having a bad run of form, he would be the bloke knocking on your hotel-room door, checking to see if things were OK. He always kept cricket in perspective. We had just lost a Test at Cape Town in 1995-96 when I discovered that my mum, Sheila, had been diagnosed with a brain tumour back in England. I was out for dinner with my wife, Lynn, and Graham, and had already discussed with my dad, Micky, that I would stay put with the team before some of us headed to the World Cup in the subcontinent, because that is what mum wanted. As a family, we agreed that was the best approach: at no stage did I stop caring about my mum just because I was not back home with her. But Thorpey could not understand why I did not head home straightaway, and suggested I should, as family is paramount. I always appreciated his thoughts, and caring nature. I was not surprised when he went into coaching. It was a natural role for someone who wanted to help others and had an eye for what made them better. It said much about him when he headed to Sydney after he retired as a player to accept a coaching position with New South Wales. He did not dwell on the fact that there was no immediate position for him in England, and threw himself into a different and more challenging experience. He came back raving about a youngster called David Warner, who was still a couple of years away from playing for Australia. It is fair to say he got that one right. It was the same with Joe Root. When Graham eventually started a coaching role with England, he'd often come and see me in my office at The Oval, and we'd spend a couple of hours discussing players he or I rated highly. He had been on about Joe from the moment he first saw him, and told me to look out for him as his career progressed. He realised early on that Joe was incredibly special, and had the potential to be a great. If he liked what he saw in a cricketer, he would give that player as much of his time as possible. And he would challenge them too – there was no such thing as easy practice, in Thorpey's eyes: practise for a purpose, and to improve. His two main questions were: can you play the fast short ball, and can you play prodigious spin? If he thought you could do both, he believed you had a real chance of succeeding at international level. It is a bit like the current set-up, where the management have worked out that there are almost two techniques: a county technique and an international technique. Thorpey was good at not just looking at the county statistics, but working out what made a player tick, and how high their ceiling could be. He was one of the toughest cricketers I played with, so I cannot begin to imagine what he went through towards the end of his life. I had known him for the best part of 40 years, and now no longer have my great mate to talk to and spend time with. Far more importantly, his family have lost a son, a brother, a husband and a father. Did he realise how much he was loved? I would certainly hope so. What I do know is, if he had been looking down at his memorial service in Southwark and seen the number of people there for him, he would have had no doubt he was loved by so many. He was a special person and a great cricketer, and I'll always miss him.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wife of Alec Stewart, Lynn Stewart, dies
The wife of former England and Surrey wicket-keeper Alec Stewart, Lynn Stewart, has died following a lengthy battle with cancer. In a statement issued by Surrey on Monday, club chair Oli Slipper confirmed the news. "The sincere condolences of everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club are with Alec and the whole Stewart family," Slipper wrote on the club's official website. "Our very best wishes are with the family and we will continue to offer any support to them that we are able to. "In the meantime, we ask that people respect their privacy at this difficult time." In March 2024, Stewart announced he would be stepping down from his role as Surrey director of cricket in order to spend more time with his wife and family. "As people may know, my wife has been battling cancer since 2013 and I want to give her, and my family, more of my time over the coming years than this job allows," Stewart told the club website at the time. Last October it was confirmed Stewart would remain at the club and take up a role as a high-performance cricket advisor - a part-time position. Stewart's reign as director of cricket was highly successful, helping oversee a side which won four County Championship titles, including three titles in a row between 2022 and 2024. As a mark of respect, flags on top of the pavilion at The Kia Oval flew at half-mast and Surrey players wore black armbands on the final day of the club's County Championship division one fixture against Hampshire.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wife of Alec Stewart, Lynn Stewart, dies
The wife of former England and Surrey wicket-keeper Alec Stewart, Lynn Stewart, has died following a lengthy battle with a statement issued by Surrey on Monday, club chair Oli Slipper confirmed the news."The sincere condolences of everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club are with Alec and the whole Stewart family," Slipper wrote on the club's official website., external"Our very best wishes are with the family and we will continue to offer any support to them that we are able to. "In the meantime, we ask that people respect their privacy at this difficult time."In March 2024, Stewart announced he would be stepping down from his role as Surrey director of cricket in order to spend more time with his wife and family."As people may know, my wife has been battling cancer since 2013 and I want to give her, and my family, more of my time over the coming years than this job allows," Stewart told the club website, external at the time. Last October it was confirmed Stewart would remain at the club and take up a role as a high-performance cricket advisor - a part-time reign as director of cricket was highly successful, helping oversee a side which won four County Championship titles, including three titles in a row between 2022 and a mark of respect, flags on top of the pavilion at The Kia Oval flew at half-mast and Surrey players wore black armbands on the final day of the club's County Championship division one fixture against Hampshire.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
County Championship preview: Who can stop Surrey?
A new English cricket season is almost upon us but, once again, as we count down to the start of the opening round of County Championship games, the same old question has to be asked - can anyone stop Surrey?Rory Burns' side have lifted the trophy in each of the past three summers, winning a consistent eight out of 14 matches per season, and losing only five overall. There are new coaches and new captains looking forward to the challenges which lie ahead but, at The Oval, there is unlikely to be any change to the approach that has served them so well, even though former director of cricket Alec Stewart will now occupy a more backseat role. If there was any doubt about Surrey's desire to be the first team to win the title in four successive years since they did it seven times in a row in the 1950s, the recruitment of two internationals - Matthew Fisher and Nathan Smith - has dispelled it. With stakes in The Hundred franchises in the process of being sold for huge sums, principally to the benefit of those counties who host teams, and talk of expanding that competition, it feels like English cricket may soon be undergoing further change, with even more pressure to squeeze in four competitions over the this year's Championship begins on 4 April and will end on 27 September - and once again we can expect some great action along the way. Will international calls hamper Surrey? "I've always looked to strengthen our squad straight after we've won the Championship," said Surrey's Alec Stewart after adding Yorkshire fast bowler Fisher to their squad in may have stepped down from his role but it is hard to see how the title can be wrestled from the grasp of those at The Oval especially with the addition of New Zealand all-rounder Smith from one hope for Surrey's competitors could be a raft of international call-ups and prolific seamer Dan Worrall is now qualified to play for were the best of the rest last season but will miss James Vince who has chosen to play solely in the T20 England opener Mark Stoneman has been drafted in from Second Division Middlesex but the loss of Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas could leave a big hole in their wickets and Essex once again led the way for the non-Test venue clubs last year and will have familiar line-ups this summer after what have been quiet winters on the recruitment Taunton, overseas seamers Matt Henry and Migael Pretorius will share a lot of the work, while Essex's preparations were upset with the loss of India fast bowler Shardul Thakur barely two weeks before the start of the season - but they do still have Simon Harmer in their Sussex and Yorkshire make a fist of it on their return to Division One?Sussex are back after nine years away with their homegrown talent very much to the fore, bolstered by West Indies Test bowler Jayden Seales and Australian batter Daniel Headingley, former skipper Anthony McGrath is now in charge, but a period of readjustment can be Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire continued to flatter to deceive last summer and considerable upheaval on the coaching front at Edgbaston may not help the Bears, along with the delayed arrival of marquee signing Tom creditable fifth-place finish last season after promotion gives cause for optimism and they will still be able to rely on the runs of David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson - but Brydon Carse's continued injury problems will leave a lot of the heavy lifting in the seam-bowling department for Matthew to the surprise of many, survived comfortably last season but the loss of Smith to the champions will not help their cause and it could be a summer of struggle at New Road. Lancashire looking to bounce back strongly A lot of eyes in Division Two will be on Lancashire as they look to bounce back from relegation at the first attempt with the help of England's Test wicket record holder James Anderson, who has decided he is not yet ready to turn his back on the 42, he is still a bowler no-one will relish facing in seamer-friendly conditions, although he is not expected to play this month because of a calf injury, and, at the other end of the age scale, there will also be interest in how 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff has progressed after spending part of the winter with England were the other side relegated from Division One last summer and have signed Pakistan Test bowler Kashif Ali and South African paceman Keith Dudgeon, with Australian fast bowler Wes Agar not rejoining the club until the end of May as his workload is managed at the end of the Australian have also given a two-year rookie deal to Rocky Flintoff's elder brother, Corey, who played for Lancashire's second XI last signing of South African paceman Dane Paterson makes up for the departure of Ethan Bamber as Middlesex look to go at least one better than last year's third place and it will interesting to see what impact spinner Zafar Gohar will have at Lord's after moving from have South African batter Matthew Breetzke available for the first eight games and, in Ben Sanderson, have one of the most consistent wicket-takers around, but their most important move over the winter was surely the arrival of head coach Darren winning only one game last season, Leicestershire will look to a talented - and, in Louis Kimber, explosive - batting line-up boosted by the signing of Pakistan's Shan Masood while the acquisition of Dutch seamer Logan van Beek could also be a shrewd Glamorgan attack will feature England spinner Shoaib Bashir and Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando in the early part of the season while Gloucestershire hope Australian Cameron Green can provide an early-season spark after last year's seventh Derbyshire, the only way is up and they will hope that last season's under-performing batting line-up can raise their collective game with elder statesman Wayne Madsen reinstalled as captain. 2024 at a glance County champions: SurreyRelegated from Division One: Kent, LancashirePromoted from Division Two: Sussex, YorkshireLeading run-scorer Division One: David Bedingham (Durham) 1,331Highest score Division One: David Bedingham (Durham) 279 (v Lancs)Leading wicket-taker Division One: Jamie Porter (Essex) 56Leading run-scorer Division Two: Colin Ingram (Glamorgan) 1,351Highest score Division Two: Sam Northeast (Glamorgan) 335no (v Middlesex)Leading wicket-taker Division Two: Ben Coad (Yorkshire) 56 Coaching changes Six counties will start the season with new men in charge, including two former international head Silverwood has returned to Essex having left Chelmsford in 2018 for three years in charge of England and then two as head coach of Sri Lanka, with whom he won the Asia Cup in Warwickshire captain Ian Westwood has stepped up from assistant to head coach at Edgbaston, replacing Mark Robinson, while at Yorkshire ex-skipper McGrath has returned to Headingley looking to replicate the success he had in seven years with Division Two, Northamptonshire have turned to former Australia head coach Lehmann while Glamorgan have handed the reins to Richard Dawson as interim for the season, although his commitments with Welsh Fire in The Hundred mean he will be absent for the One-Day Cup final new face is at relegated Kent where former England One Day captain Adam Hollioake returns to county cricket, having won the title three times during his playing days with Surrey. New leaders There have been six captaincy changes across the County Championship over the big news just one week before the start of the season was Jonny Bairstow taking over the leadership of Yorkshire's red-ball team and following in the footsteps of his late father, David, who captained the White Rose county between 1984 and this is an acceptance of his England Test career being over, only 35-year-old Bairstow will know but Division One bowling attacks will be on red Lees has taken over at Durham with predecessor Scott Borthwick moving into a player-coach position, while former Sussex captain Ben Brown is back in a skipper's role, taking over from Vince at Division Two, another man returning to captaincy is Madsen at Derbyshire, who resumes the position nine years after stepping down from his first have entrusted the captaincy to Australia batter Cameron Bancroft while another Australian, Peter Handscomb, has taken over at Leicestershire, having also led Middlesex in the past.
