BtB stories: Born To Run

“Trust is a big thing with me…” states, by any measure, one of England’s greatest ever cricketers. “It takes me some time to get comfortable with people. And part of that is that I’m very much my own man.” It’s an emphatic start. But expectations were nothing less. Alec Stewart is famously straightforward.

We are sat in what looks like a busy and as a result somewhat untidy office. High in the pavilion at the Kia Oval, it’s something between a functioning and functional meeting room and a stack-it everywhere storage cupboard. The only signifier of its importance as the club’s cricketing nerve centre is the gravitas of the person we’re in the presence of, sat in the office’s prime corner, and the massive Surrey crest etched into the glass at the side of the door.

It’s an unmemorable late October afternoon. In this equally low-key space. Outside, the insect-like motorised heat lamps are crawling slowly over the outfield, in use to promote new grass growth on what looks like a fairly recently reseeded outer.

To our right, redevelopment is well underway within the framework of the famous gasometer; the structure that continues to dominate the northern side of the ground. A circular apartment block is being assembled within the gasholder’s otherwise distinctive skeleton. Made from what will undoubtedly be listed-status ironmongery. Having been in situ since 1853. And further to the east is a gap in the ground’s overlooking houses, the space now vacated by the recently demolished Cricketers pub. A building that, although derelict since 2002, has stood in that spot since 1826. Change is clearly all around.

To that end, Stewart has announced he is stepping down from his role as Surrey’s Director of Cricket. In order to support wife, Lynn, as she undergoes ongoing treatment for secondary breast cancer. It is something he’s spoken about, with the role of running the household – rather than this powerhouse of English domestic cricket – being something, he says, he will give his best to, without the expectation of achieving any great success. In that – as a man of a certain age – I’m sure he isn’t alone.

And that age is 61. Again, by all accounts, Stewart is a 06:30-in-the-gym kind of guy. Getting the work done without impacting on the time set aside for others and not detracting from doing his job to the best of his ability. And physically, despite the hair thinning slightly, and the blond greying to silver, he broadly looks the same as when sporting his trademark upturned collar, stood over the stumps for England.

He is, as you might expect of a man of convention, dressed wholly appropriately for a person of his age and status. But still modern enough to somewhat blend in with the cricketers, whose progress he has overseen. And has done so to great effect.

Surrey has won the last three County Championship titles. The club’s best run since the seven-season spell of dominance in the 1950s. And in recent times a period only rivalled – in terms of impact on the county scene and England front – by Yorkshire’s back-to-back efforts in 2014 and ’15. Then under the stewardship of Martyn Moxon. A much-admired Stewart peer.

The recent three-peat came after ‘The Gaffer’, as he was known during his playing days, had delivered the club its first Championship title for 28 years in 2018. That arrived after his return to the Oval, coming about in the wake of the turmoil caused by the club’s relegation to the second division in 2014. “When I came back to Surrey, I said that it was a three-year project,” states this MBE (1998) and OBE (2003) winner. “There were players I wanted to move on and others to bring in. And I said that I’d only take on the job in that context. Under those conditions. I said to the club that I’d only do it if I could do it my way, and I wanted to be judged on that, and that alone. And to be fair to them – at least for 95 per cent of the time – that’s what has happened. And has continued to happen. Right up until now.”

But this reported shift in focus from work to home isn’t the end of the road for the Stewart connection at the Oval. As dynasties go, Alec followed his dad, Micky, as both a player and team boss. And Stewart Junior will remain on in an influential but reduced role as the county’s high-performance cricket advisor. Which, according to Alec, will amount to around 40 days a year. In the process sustaining more than 40 years of ongoing personal and professional service and association.

“When I started here as Director of Cricket it was much different,” he states, having now returned from having his photo taken at the front of the pavilion. Whose steps bear his dad’s famous name. “Graham Ford came in as head coach – I think we had one physio – maybe two other people – but definitely no analyst. If you look across at the wall…” Stewart points to the heavily annotated whiteboard planner opposite. “That block of names at the bottom – however many there are (consensus being 16) – is the support team now. That’s what it takes to deliver at the level we do.”

First on the Surrey staff in 1981. Stewart played to a brilliant conclusion a cricket career of more than a thousand professional appearances. Of that number, 133 were Tests. A record at the time. With his last ever being the final instalment in a 303-game run for England. Stage managed to conclude at the Oval in 2003. During that long career, as a batter he remained throughout a fierce cutter and puller of the ball, and with the gloves on; ever reliable and tidy.

Exiting the game when still at the top, and aged 40, he went on to work for a period for the company, Arundel Promotions, alongside former Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith. Splitting his time between player representation and media work. Where, on principle, Stewart wouldn’t rejoin the Surrey ranks until any and all of those existing contracts and commitments had lapsed.

Speaking of those early days in charge. “To win, back then, things had to change,” sets out Stewart emphatically. “I challenged the groundsman to show everyone – and I believed it was true – that he was the best in the world. I wanted to move the pitches away from being good, but with the potential for too many draws. To being fast and bouncy. South Africa’s Morne Morkel proved the catalyst for that first success in 2018, alongside those changes in surfaces.

“Also, having benefitted myself from multiple trips to Perth in Western Australia, I set about formalising the process of sending our young players – particularly batters – to the coaches and clubs which I believed would bring them on. As it had for me. We now also send players to Queensland and Pakistan as part of their progression. All with weekly check-ins. I believe that being able to play well off the back foot is a measure of a player.”

His squad-building approach, he says, was based around the reduction of the games to its constituent parts. Effectively, he’s describing the commoditisation of runs and wickets. After researching and then deciding on the number of each was required over the course of a season to win matches, and by turn championships, he says that he set about adding players capable of delivering them. Against likely probability. All of the time maintaining Surrey’s standing and history as a club capable of growing their own players. Both for Surrey’s benefit. And for England.

“I believed then and still believe now that it’s important to have the core of the squad developed by the club,” he says, again emphatically. “I know we are better off than most in that regard. We have a good catchment area, a good network of coaches and also a good number of public schools that also afford scholarship players access to the contact time and facilities that make a huge difference in the development of talent. As well as a fixture list of competition over the summer, played on excellent pitches, there for players to develop their game on.

“I know it doesn’t sound very nice – we are talking about privilege here – but overwhelmingly the young players benefitting from these opportunities aren’t from privileged backgrounds. They’re just ordinary young people identified as having the right level of ability and the right attitude to make the most of the opportunity.”

As a huge follower of football, Stewart speaks of Alex Ferguson as an all-round mentor, inspiration, and influence in building the club up in his image. “We needed the Oval to become a fortress. Like Old Trafford was for Ferguson. With a maximum of eight home games, I moved us away from Guildford – which is lovely and a place I have real affection for – but we held no advantage as one of what was only a handful of home matches. From there, it has been down to the players delivering.”

If that was the job when he took it on, what’s different now as he steps down? With the question comes a swift, one-word reply. “Franchises,” he says, even more emphatically than before. “The onset of franchise cricket is the biggest challenge in the job, and also you’d have to say, one of the biggest opportunities for the players. When I started as director of cricket there was the IPL to contend with in the summer and the Big Bash in the winter. That isn’t the case now. Knowing who you’re going to have, who is available, and for how many games, has been a constant challenge.

“We’ve tried to be fair to the players. I know we’re known as ‘Moneybags Surrey’, but I’m also a big one for the individual earning that money we pay them. And not us just handing it over. If players do well for the club, we reward them. But only if I feel they’ve earnt it.”

Stewart continues, “the finance department here will tell you how I treat the cricket budget as if it’s my own money. And a Director of Cricket should always be looking to add to the squad. And whilst I appreciate that we’re able – if we want to – to operate somewhere near the top of the salary cap, we could spend more on player wages than we do. But we choose not to. Well, I chose not to. And I know that’s a privileged position to be in. Especially compared to many of the other counties, where they’re not necessarily competing for titles on all fronts like we are. And on that, I think that Leicestershire seeing Josh Hull capped by England should be a real measure of success for them – and any club. It’s certainly what we’ve always tried to do here. Win titles and provide players for England.”

Stewart continues talking about the players at Surrey. The restoration to form of Rory Burns, the emergence of Dom Sibley as a more-attacking batting presence, and of someone he describes as the most skilful bowler in England; Dan Worrall. The 33-year-old Victorian is eligible for England in 2025, with Stewart signing the fast bowler from Gloucestershire on the endorsement of South Africa’s Hashim Amla, after facing him when playing as Surrey’s overseas player at the time.

He also talks about how he sets about mitigating the challenge of having his players’ heads turned by the opportunity to earn their money as global freelancers, rather than staff players. “I try to make what we offer here at Surrey attractive in the medium and longer-term, rather than like the short-term quick cash opportunities of the franchises,” before pausing mid thought. “They tend to be more volatile opportunities. Firings and hirings are quick and often. Made especially easy because new coaches, when they come in, under the influence of their team owners, are picking from a global roster of players in their thousands, rather than a pool of around 300 professionals in the UK. And with all of them needing to be successful quickly to keep their jobs or maintain their business value. It’s pressurised. A bad fortnight and you’re done.

“We offer stability. I try and set out the reality. That should a player go off and decide to play all over the world, we make them understand that not contracting to Surrey comes with consequences. That’s focused around them being able to plan their lives more consistently, which is important if you have personal responsibilities. We are a stable and successful proposition for the 28 players, or around that number, that we want to contract.”

We finish with a question about him as a boss. What is he like to work for? “Well, you’ll have to ask other people that, but I will say that I’m a self-sorter. But as I stated earlier, as the game has changed and evolved, and the job with it, that has been less and less doable. Practically.

“I’ve got better over time on consulting with coaches around the players they’re happy to let go and those they would like to keep working with. I’ve always tried to base the job around best practice, across sport, and not just cricket. And over the years I’ve tried to involve more people on more things and more decisions, but by nature, if something needs doing, I’ll trust myself to do it over anyone else. Like I said, I’m a self-sorter.”

And with that, we’re done. Chelsea is playing this evening he states smiling broadly. In what was the old League Cup. Against Newcastle. It’s well known that he has always been a huge fan of the Londoners. “I wore No.4 for England because John Hollins had the same shirt at Chelsea. He was my hero growing up.” Stewart continues as handshakes are administered, saying he also has a committee meeting to plan for this evening. This time with more of a knowing wink than a smile, he says that he’ll be dialling in rather than attending in person. Partly to be at home to help out, but partly to keep an eye on how the Blues might be faring ‘up the toon’. “I have my brother-in-law with us at the weekend,” he concludes warmly with a bit more football. “And I’ve said how much we’re all looking forward to seeing everyone, but between four-thirty and six-thirty I’ll be watching the Chelsea v United game. And that, whatever else we might be doing in between, is a non-negotiable.” With expectations set and no doubt met, we’re done.

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