OTD| Former England captain Alec Stewart was born in 1963

This article will discuss the On This Day Former England captain Alec Stewart was born in 1963. There have been numerous wicket keeper batters who have played the game but there have been only very few wicket-keepers who have also shown their talent with bat in hand. Not many fans know that Alec Stewart was among the wicket keeper batter who proved his worth as a batter in the Test match cricket also. Stewart was a stylish batter and reliable wicket-keeper, played a pivotal role for England during the 1990s despite sharing wicket-keeping duties with Jack Russell. It was on this way then the star wicket keeper batter was born. 

The wicket keeper batter also excelled in ODIs, often opening the batting. Although he eventually became the primary keeper and even captained England, his tenure was short-lived due to poor results in the Ashes and the World Cup 1999. Nevertheless, Stewart remained an aggressive batsman-keeper, achieving the rare feat of scoring a century in his hundredth Test match against West Indies in 2000. Notably, he performed exceptionally well against West Indies, including a memorable 143 at Barbados in 1993-94.

Stewart’s durability is evident from his record as England’s most capped player with 133 Test appearances. He amassed over 12,000 runs across Test cricket and ODIs and registered 451 international dismissals as a wicket-keeper. Following his retirement in 2003, Stewart transitioned into player management as a Director at Arundel Promotions before joining Surrey Cricket Club as a part-time consultant.

Stewart was in prime in 2000 NatWest triangular series

During the 2000 one-day triangular series, Alec Stewart showcased a return to peak performance, and his century in his 100th Test match garnered a lengthy standing ovation, solidifying his status as a national figure. However, his pristine reputation suffered a setback amid allegations of involvement with an Indian bookmaker during England’s 2000-01 tour of Pakistan. Despite the controversy, Stewart persevered.

 In 2002, the wicket keeper batter became England’s most-capped Test cricketer, surpassing Graham Gooch’s record, notably achieved against India at Lord’s. Stewart continued representing England until his retirement after the drawn series with South Africa in 2003. His final match at The Oval witnessed him contributing 38 runs to an English victory. Renowned for his colorful commentary akin to football managers, Stewart earned the nickname “Gaffer.” Following retirement, he delved into the media industry and served as an executive director at Surrey Cricket Club.