Alec Stewart withdraws from England director of cricket running due to family reasons

Alec Stewart will not be England’s next director of cricket, after withdrawing from the running for family reasons.

The ECB put out an advertisement for a “Managing Director, England Men’s Cricket” last Monday, which is one of many jobs they are currently looking to fill, following a post-Ashes cull.

Ashley Giles lost his job as managing director, Chris Silverwood was axed as head coach (but is close to agreeing a deal with Sri Lanka), and Graham Thorpe also departed as batting coach.

An interim staff are currently in charge of the team in Grenada, where the Third Test against West Indies begins on Thursday.

Andrew Strauss, who held the MD role between 2015 and 2018, when he had to step down due to his wife’s ill health, is currently holding that post on an interim basis and working with recruiters SRI.

Their first task is to appoint an MD, who will then confirm the structure of the coaching team (which is set to be split along format lines). They are also likely to bring back the post of national selector that Giles abolished.

Stewart, who played 133 tests for England, was considered among the favourites for the MD job and would have been a strong candidate, but it is understood he will not be applying for family reasons.

He will remain Surrey’s director of cricket, a post he has held since 2014.

Names linked to the MD job include Ed Smith, the former national selector, and Durham director of cricket Marcus North. Other possibilities are Nathan Leamon and Mo Bobat, who already work with England, and Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand head coach.

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