Alec stewart profile

Stewart is still going strong despite his advancing years

Alec James Stewart, born in Surrey in , was coached by his father, Micky, a former Surrey captain and England Test batsman.

The younger Stewart made his debut for Surrey at the age of

Though a prolific run-maker in the County Championship - he scored 1, runs a season for five years on the trot - he was passed over for England selection throughout the s.

Stewart's first foray onto the Test stage - which he considers his most nervous moment in international cricket - came in Jamaica in

The same match saw Nasser Hussain's first England appearance, too.

Cynics commented that Stewart only made the England team because his father was its coach.

Now, 13 years later, Stewart is the most capped England player of all time with appearances and is second on the country's all-time list of Test run-scorers.

In , due to his superior skill as a batsman, Stewart took over as wicket-keeper from Jack Russell, effectively ending the Gloucestershire keeper's Test career.

An Ashes victory has eluded Stewart in seven series against Australia

Since then, Stewart has batted through much of the England order.

Although often criticised as not being a natural opening batsman, his pairing with Michael Atherton became the definitive opening partnership of the s.

Even so, Stewart's 15 Test centuries came when he was batting at number six.

More than 8, Test runs - at an average of 40 an innings - combined with a tally at the start of the Lord's Test of catches and 13 stumpings, place him in the highest echelon of international cricketers.

His professional ethics made him stand out in the field, earning him respect from everyone. Cricket, after all, is a team game — and there is only so much you can do for a side on your own. There were rumours that he had caught chicken pox before the second innings, but he walked out and scored 38 more before Caddick bowled out Australia to end in a run win. DC need 91 runs in 55 balls.

He was also the world's leading Test run-scorer during the s.

But there have also been a number of less-fulfilling moments. After seven series, he has yet to be on an Ashes-winning side.

He was famously fined for dissent against Australia at the Oval in and in the mids he broke his finger three times in nine months.

Alec stewart cricketer biography of william But his squeaky-clean image took a blow during England's tour of Pakistan when an Indian bookmaker alleged that Stewart had accepted money for information during England's trip to India in Police Sports Club. On the field, though, he was as impeccable and immaculate as anyone else — and a role model for everyone, especially to his juniors. Richie Richardson won the toss and elected to field on what looked like a seam-friendly pitch.

Stewart was forced to fight his corner against charges of corruption

But all of this pales into insignificance beside the major crisis of his career.

In November , with the cricket world rocked by allegations of match-fixing, an Indian bookmaker alleged that he had paid Stewart for supplying him with information.

Stewart, who strenuously denied the charge, had to wait a considerable time before the International Cricket Council cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Alec Stewart at the crease is a sight to behold: forever twitching, fidgeting and blinking in an arcane set of rituals and mannerisms familiar to spectators from Manchester to Melbourne.

And, from behind the stumps, Stewart's frequent exhortations to England bowlers - "areas, Gilo", "well bowled, Cat" - are well-known.

Biography of william shakespeare At the start of his career, Stewart was a specialist opening batsman for England, with wicketkeeping duties being retained by Jack Russell. England vs South Africa. Women's Ashes 1. England toured West Indies next, and though England lost the series , Stewart reached double-figures in 10 consecutive innings scoring in 10 innings at an average of

If, as some say, genius is an infinite ability to take pains, the secret of Stewart's success is obvious.

"I leave nothing to chance in my preparation, whether it be in the way I train in the nets, the fielding and wicket-keeping sessions I do or the fitness levels I try and maintain," he has said.

"My desire to be successful as an individual and for the team are also very high, and I never give up no matter the situation."

Though he is a venerable 40, Stewart's career may still have a few surprises left.