England legend Alec Stewart will step down as director of cricket at Surrey County Cricket Club, it has been announced.
The former wicket-keeper and batter is to quit as director of cricket at the end of 2024, following 11 years at the helm, calling it “the toughest decision of my working career”.
He was appointed in November 2013 and said part of the reasoning behind the decision is to support his wife, who is battling cancer.
His time in charge of the London giants has been dripping with success, winning three County Championship titles.
Under his tenure, the club has also produced some of England’s top talents and attracted domestic cricket’s leading lights, to play at the Oval.
The announcement was made by Surrey CCC this morning, saying he had “built a strong culture of success at the club.”
Alec Stewart said: “Without a doubt, this has been the toughest decision of my working career, but after careful consideration, I will be stepping down from my role as Director of Cricket at the end of this calendar year. The main reason for informing the Club at this point in time is to give them enough notice to find a suitable replacement.
“Since November 2013, I have given this job my total commitment and it has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of the greatest cricket club in the world. However, the job is not one that you can just leave at the ground, as it demands 24/7 attention. 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.
“I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved over the last 11 years, winning trophies as well as continuing to produce our own players through the Talent Pathway and providing players for England. Supporting young talent to develop into top-quality players is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable parts of the job.
“I want to thank all the players, coaches and cricket management staff I’ve worked with for their incredible support and hard-work. I’d also like to thank everyone who has played their part in taking the Club forward both on and off the field.
“I will always be available to support the Club in any way that I can and would also consider other opportunities in and around the game that work for me and the family.
“From now until my last working day, I guarantee that my commitment to the job and to the Club will not diminish one bit and I am fully focused on helping the squad to achieve more success.
Alongside the announcement from Surrey, the club released a 20-minute sit-down interview explaining his decision to fans.
Before dedicating his post-playing career to helping run Surrey, he was a prolific batter for England, scoring 8,463 Test and 4,677 ODI runs, as-well-as being involved in more than 450 international dismissals as a keeper. In domestic cricket, he scored 67 centuries and was a part of more than 1200 dismissals.
Stewart was heralded by Oli Slipper, Surrey CCC chair, who said he’d been “an outstanding leader over the last 11 years. He took over with the team in a difficult position and has built a club in his own image that is hard-working, dedicated and humble. The values and the philosophy that he has created are the foundation of the success that the team has seen.”
“Whilst he is stepping down from his role at the Club, we do not want to lose his knowledge of the game and I have no doubt that his successor will always have a helpful voice to call upon if needed.”
Steve Elworthy, CEO at Surrey Cricket, said “Alec has been one of the greatest servants this Club has ever seen and leaves an extraordinary legacy.
“Alec’s professionalism, work ethic and commitment to the Club has driven success in his playing days and even more so as Director of Cricket. The Club is where it is today because of his passion and his dedication.”
The County season begins in less than one month.