Alec Stewart - England - Batsman

A stylish batsman and dependable wicket-keeper, Alec Stewart was one of the integral members of the England team through the 1990's despite being rotated with Jack Russell. He was more dangerous in ODIs, often wading into the bowling attack at the top of the order. After establishing himself as the primary keeper, Stewart progressed to lead England, albeit with little success. His captaincy barely lasted 12 months and he was relieved of the burden following the Ashes reversal and the 1999 World Cup.

However, he continued to be an attacking batsman-keeper, earning the distinction of becoming only the fourth player to claim a hundred in his hundredth Test when he notched up 105 against West Indies at Old Trafford in 2000. Coincidentally, he seemed to have reserved his best for West Indies, scoring 4 international centuries against them with the pick of the lot being his patient 143 at Barbados in 1993-94 as England romped home by 208 runs.

His durability can be gauged from the fact that Stewart still stands as England's most capped player with 133 Tests under his belt. Overall, Stewart tallied 12000+ runs with Test cricket and ODIs put together. On the keeping front, Stewart effected 451 international dismissals.

After retiring from cricket in 2003, Stewart served as a Director of Arundel Promotions, catering to player management before joining Surrey as a part-time consultant.

By Cricbuzz Staff