Alec Stewart on returning to Surrey, England's Ashes defeat and why Jude Bellingham could be good news for cricket
4/28/202630 min
As Alec Stewart returns full time to Surrey, the Director of Cricket sits down with Ath for a special episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
We talk England and the Ashes defeat, the start of the County Championship, Jude Bellingham's involvement in cricket and the future of the game.
•You can watch the cricket action live on Sky Sports. If you're not already a Sky customer, you can stream Sky Sports on your terms with a NOW membership. Sign up to NOW here: www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc\_skysports\_podcastlink
•Listen to every episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast here: www.skysports.com/podcasts/36578/11933948/sky-sports-cricket-podcast-with-nasser-hussain-and-michael-atherton
•You can listen to the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast on your smart speaker by asking it to "play Sky Sports Cricket Podcast".
•For all the latest cricket news, head to www.skysports.com/cricket
•For advertising opportunities email: skysportspodcasts@sky.uk
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTracey Neville0:00
[dramatic music] Yeah, gone. Gone. He gets his fairy tale ending.
Michael Atherton· Host0:05
An epic way to go to a test match 100.
Tracey Neville0:09
The London Spirit first time winners.
Michael Atherton· Host0:12
The most remarkable thing you'll probably ever see in cricket.
Tracey Neville0:15
604 and final test wicket to Stuart Broad.
Michael Atherton· Host0:19
It's India who win the T20 World Cup.
Tracey Neville0:22
England's captain Ben Stokes, while he is there, England have hope.
Michael Atherton· Host0:27
[crowd cheering] [dramatic music] They told me we were gonna do this in your office initially, which I im- I imagine to be utterly immaculate with not a piece of paper out of place. Is that how it is?
Alec Stewart· Guest0:41
Ah, you know me too well. [laughs] But if you'd asked to have the interview two weeks ago, it would've been a definite no because for some reason- It's a bomb site ... while I was not here full time last year, it turned into a warehouse- [laughs] ... effectively. But my OCD or whatever kicked in, and it's now pretty good, but still not immaculate.
Michael Atherton· Host1:00
Um, you are back full time. What, what does a, a day at The Oval look like for Alex Stewart in the position you're in? Because you're not the, the head coach obviously, but you are the director of cricket here. You have a very hands-on role. What, what does a, a day look like for you in championship cricket?
Alec Stewart· Guest1:15
It, it varies with... Yeah, with match day, it's very much, you know, it is the head coach, Gareth Batty, who's done a brilliant job since coming in, that he runs it and that's how it needs to be. Um, so leading into it, we'll have spoken about the squad. Um, and