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{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Alec Stewart
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}
| image = AlecStewart.jpg
| country = England
| fullname = Alec James Stewart
| height = 5 ft 10 in
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|4|8|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Merton Park]], England
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm [[Medium pace bowling|medium]]
| role = [[Batsman]], [[Wicket-keeper]]
| family = [[Micky Stewart]] (father)
| nickname = The Gaffer
| international = true
| internationalspan = 1989–2003
| testdebutdate = 24 February
| testdebutyear = 1990
| testdebutagainst = West Indies
| testcap = 543
| lasttestdate = 8 September
| lasttestyear = 2003
| lasttestagainst = South Africa
| odidebutdate = 15 October
| odidebutyear = 1989
| odidebutagainst = Sri Lanka
| odicap = 104
| lastodidate = 2 March
| lastodiyear = 2003
| lastodiagainst = Australia
| odishirt = 4
| club1 = [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]]
| year1 = 1981–2003
| columns = 4
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1 = 133
| runs1 = 8,463
| bat avg1 = 39.54
| 100s/50s1 = 15/45
| top score1 = 190
| deliveries1 = 20
| wickets1 = 0
| bowl avg1 = –
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = –
| catches/stumpings1 = 263/14
| column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2 = 170
| runs2 = 4,677
| bat avg2 = 31.60
| 100s/50s2 = 4/28
| top score2 = 116
| deliveries2 = 0
| wickets2 = –
| bowl avg2 = –
| fivefor2 = –
| tenfor2 = –
| best bowling2 = –
| catches/stumpings2 = 159/15
| column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| matches3 = 447
| runs3 = 26,165
| bat avg3 = 40.06
| 100s/50s3 = 48/148
| top score3 = 271[[not out|*]]
| deliveries3 = 502
| wickets3 = 3
| bowl avg3 = 148.66
| fivefor3 = 0
| tenfor3 = 0
| best bowling3 = 1/7
| catches/stumpings3 = 721/32
| column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
| matches4 = 504
| runs4 = 14,771
| bat avg4 = 35.08
| 100s/50s4 = 19/94
| top score4 = 167[[not out|*]]
| deliveries4 = 4
| wickets4 = 0
| bowl avg4 = –
| fivefor4 = –
| tenfor4 = –
| best bowling4 = –
| catches/stumpings4 = 442/48
| date = 14 October
| year = 2007
| source = http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/ENG/S/STEWART_AJ_01001953/ Cricinfo
}}
'''Alec James Stewart''' {{post-nominals|OBE}} (born 8 April 1963) is an English former cricketer, and former captain of the [[England cricket team]], who played [[Test cricket]] and [[One Day International]]s as a right-handed [[wicket-keeper-batsman]]. He is the fourth-most-[[cap (sport)|capped]] English cricketer ever in [[Test cricket|Test matches]]<ref>{{citation|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/individual/most_matches_career.html?class=1;id=1;type=team |title=Records/England/Test Matches/Most Matches |publisher=stats.espncricinfo.com }} Retrieved on 3 September 2011</ref> and third-most-capped in [[One Day International]]s (ODIs), having played in 133 Tests and 170 ODIs.

==Domestic career==
The younger son of former English Test cricketer [[Micky Stewart]], Stewart was educated at [[Tiffin School]] in [[Kingston upon Thames]].<ref>[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6011601.html "Alec was aggressive – He'd even sledge the teachers Says the England captain's Games Master!"]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, [[Sunday Mirror]], Steve Whiting, 24 May 1998</ref> He made his debut for [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] in 1981, earning a reputation as an aggressive opening batsman and occasional wicketkeeper.

Stewart is a well-known supporter of [[Surrey County Cricket Club]] and [[Chelsea F.C.]] When shirt numbers were introduced for One Day International cricket, Stewart chose the number 4 shirt in honour of his favourite Chelsea player when growing up, [[John Hollins]], and kept that shirt number throughout his career.<ref>[http://www.arundelpromotions.com/clients/alec_stewart.php Profile at Arundel Promotions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926100727/http://www.arundelpromotions.com/clients/alec_stewart.php |date=26 September 2006 }}</ref>

==International career==
Stewart made his England debut in the first Test of the 1989/90 tour of the [[West Indian cricket team|West Indies]], along with [[Nasser Hussain]], who would eventually replace him as England captain.

At the start of his career, Stewart was a specialist opening batsman for England, with wicketkeeping duties being retained by [[Jack Russell (cricketer and artist)|Jack Russell]], who was generally recognised as the superior gloveman and who batted down the order. However, Russell, the inferior batsman, would often be dropped to improve the balance of the side (i.e. to accommodate an extra bowler or batsman), in which case Stewart would don the gloves. After enduring years of selection and deselection, Russell retired from international cricket in 1998, leaving Stewart unrivalled as England's keeper-batsman until his own retirement in 2003.
[[Image:Alec Stewart Graph.png|right|thumb|250px|Alec Stewart's career performance graph.]]

===Prominence===
His highest Test score, 190, was against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] in the drawn first [[Edgbaston Cricket Ground|Edgbaston]] Test on 4 June 1992; it was his fourth century in five Tests. In 1994 at the [[Kensington Oval]] he became only the seventh Englishman to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, scoring 118 and 143 as the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] were beaten at their [[Kensington Oval|Bridgetown]] "fortress" for the first time since 1935.<ref>[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153212.html Wisden: West Indies v England, 1993–94]</ref>

Stewart's batting average (39.54) is the lowest of any player to have scored 8000 or more runs in Test cricket: he is the only player to have scored over 8000 runs despite an average of under 40.<ref>[http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=runs;qualmin3=8000;qualval3=runs;template=results;type=batting Cricinfo statsguru: batsmen who scored 8000 Test runs or more]</ref> However, when played as a specialist batsman in Test cricket, Stewart averaged 46.90 in 51 games with 9 centuries. Since [[World War II]], only [[Len Hutton]], [[Geoff Boycott]], [[Dennis Amiss]] and [[Alastair Cook]] have bettered Stewart's average of 46 as a specialist opening batsman for England.<ref>[http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?batting_positionmax1=2;batting_positionval1=batting_position;class=1;filter=advanced;keeper=0;orderby=batting_average;qualmin1=30;qualval1=innings;spanmin2=1+jan+1945;spanval2=span;team=1;template=results;type=batting Cricinfo statsguru: openers by batting average since 1945]</ref> As wicketkeeper-batsman he averaged 34.92 from 82 tests, higher than many of his contemporaries and many of the current batch of international wicketkeepers. He was unlucky enough to be on the losing side in a record 54 Test Matches.

Stewart just like his predecessor [[Jack Russell (cricketer, born 1963)|Jack Russell]] was widely renowned as being one of the more prominent sledgers on the cricket circuit. This was perhaps most prominent on South Africa's tour of England in 1999. As recounted by South Africa fast bowler [[Shaun Pollock]] 'Whenever I went out to bat I'd be taken guard and Alec would come right up to the stumps and start talking to me trying to get me out my bubble. He'd ask me my favourite type of music, food, colour you name it! There was one game in particular at [[Edgbaston Cricket Ground|Edgbaston]] where he asked me my opinion on the film Speed and whether [[Keanu Reeves|Keanu Reeve's]] character would be able to steer a 2 ton bus around the streets of Cape Town at 50 mph plus. As the bowler was running in to bowl all I could think was which route would I take and as a result I was out bowled. As I was walking off he patted me on the back and said "Leave the driving to [[Keanu Reeves|Keanu]] and just sit at the back of the bus with [[Sandra Bullock|Sandra]]".

Stewart holds the record for scoring most test runs without a career double century in test history (8463)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/Batting/BattingMostCareerRunsWO100.asp?Stat=2|title=HowSTAT! Test Cricket – Most Career Runs without a Double Century|website=www.howstat.com|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref>

===Captaincy===
Stewart was groomed for the England captaincy under [[Graham Gooch]], deputising for him in four tests in India and Sri Lanka in 1993, but when Gooch retired from the captaincy later that year [[Mike Atherton]] was chosen to succeed him. Stewart was asked to captain England in 1998 when Mike Atherton resigned. Despite being the age of 35 at the time, Stewart's level of fitness was impeccable, especially bearing in mind that most players do not continue beyond 37. As it was Stewart went on to play for England beyond his 40th birthday – but as events were to transpire – his captaincy of England barely lasted 12 months.

In his first series as captain, against [[South African cricket team|South Africa]], Stewart scored an outstanding 164 in the third Test at [[Old Trafford (cricket)|Old Trafford]] to salvage a draw, a result which eventually enabled England to overturn a 1–0 deficit to win the series 2–1. Nonetheless, failures against [[Australian cricket team|Australia]] and in the [[1999 Cricket World Cup]] saw him sacked from the captaincy to be replaced by Hussain. During his captaincy, he had the unusual distinction of simultaneously captaining the side, opening the batting and keeping wicket. He continued to deputise occasionally as captain of England's one-day side, and became the second international captain to concede a match in 2001, after a pitch invasion during a One Day International against [[Pakistan cricket team|Pakistan]] rendered the continuation of play impossible.<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/103301.html Stewart concedes defeat after another pitch invasion]</ref> He continued as an England player for five more seasons, and became only the fourth player to score a century in his 100th Test, scoring 105 against the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] at [[Old Trafford (cricket)|Old Trafford]] in 2000.

Stewart also set a record for playing the most number of ODI matches(28) as a captain who has kept wicket and opened the batting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283397.html|title=Records {{!}} One-Day Internationals {{!}} Individual records (captains, players, umpires) {{!}} Captains who have kept wicket and opened the batting {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo|newspaper=Cricinfo|access-date=2017-02-17}}</ref>

==After cricket==
In 2004, Stewart became a founding director of Arundel Promotions with specific responsibility for player management and representation. Cricket playing clients include [[Paul Collingwood]], [[Ian Bell]], [[Ashley Giles]] and [[Matt Prior]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.athletes1.co.uk/content/169/index.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-02-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107035904/http://www.athletes1.co.uk/content/169/index.html |archive-date=7 January 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2009, Stewart rejoined Surrey as a part-time consultant to the coaching staff specialising in batting, wicket keeping and mentoring.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.surreycricket.com/news/alec-stewart-returns-to-surrey-dressing-room,6338,NS.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=20 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414033400/http://www.surreycricket.com/news/alec-stewart-returns-to-surrey-dressing-room,6338,NS.html |archive-date=14 April 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Since retiring from playing Stewart has taken on the role as the Club Ambassador for Surrey County Cricket Club and was made an executive director in 2011.

On 17 June 2013, it was announced by [[Surrey County Cricket Club]] that Stewart would take charge of first team affairs following the sacking of [[Chris Adams (cricketer)|Chris Adams]], until a long term successor was found. In October 2013 the club announced that [[Graham Ford]] would become head coach in February 2014, with Stewart becoming Director of Cricket, a new position.<ref>[http://www.kiaoval.com/graham-ford-appointed-head-coach/?dm_i=1AEV,1WW5B,6Q37UZ,6V881,0 "Graham Ford Appointed Head Coach"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019101953/http://www.kiaoval.com/graham-ford-appointed-head-coach/?dm_i=1AEV,1WW5B,6Q37UZ,6V881,0 |date=19 October 2013 }} Retrieved 18 October 2013</ref>

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (UK TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 2003 when he was surprised by [[Michael Aspel]] while playing golf at the Royal Automobile Club in Epsom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigredbook.info/alec_stewart.html |title=Alec Stewart |publisher=Bigredbook.info |date= |accessdate=4 March 2021}}</ref>

==Honours==
* One of five ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] 1993
* Appointed an MBE on 13 June 1998
* Appointed an OBE on 14 June 2003
* Highest Test run scorer in the world during the 1990s
* As a mark of his achievements Surrey County Cricket Club have named the gates at the Vauxhall End after him: the Alec Stewart Gates

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050421152647/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Slideshow/slideshowContentFrameFrag.jhtml?xml=/sport/gallery/cricket/icc/alecXI/ualec.xml Alec Stewart's Greatest One-Day XI]
*{{ESPNcricinfo|id=20372}}
*[http://www.bigredbook.info/alec_stewart.html Alec Stewart's appearance on This Is Your Life]

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box |
before= [[Graham Gooch]] [[Mike Atherton]] |
title=[[English national cricket captains|English national cricket captain]] |
years=(deputised 1993) 1998–1999|
after= [[Graham Gooch]] [[Nasser Hussain]] |
}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Ian Greig]] |
title=[[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey captain]] |
years=1992–1997|
after=[[Adam Hollioake]] |
}}
{{s-end}}
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|bg= skyblue
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|title= England squads
|bg= skyblue
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{{England Squad 1992 Cricket World Cup}}
{{England Squad 1996 Cricket World Cup}}
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{{England Squad 2003 Cricket World Cup}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Alec}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Directors of Cricket]]
[[Category:English cricket coaches]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:England One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:England Test cricketers]]
[[Category:English cricketers of 1969 to 2000]]
[[Category:England Test cricket captains]]
[[Category:Surrey cricket captains]]
[[Category:Surrey cricketers]]
[[Category:Wisden Cricketers of the Year]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 1992 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 1996 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 1999 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 2003 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Tiffin School]]
[[Category:People from Merton Park]]

Alec Stewart - Revision history

Hoci Mini at 05:25, 25 August 2021