Surrey will find out this month whether its attempt to host and run a Tier 1 club in the new women’s national structure has been successful, and chairman Oli Slipper has made clear his desire for greater involvement in the running of Oval Invincibles, with discussions in course on changes. in Hundred’s ownership model.
When Stewart steps down at the end of the calendar year, Surrey will consider a restructuring of its cricket department. Gareth Batty, his head coach, has branded Stewart “irreplaceable” and that could be revealed with a new job description for Stewart’s potential successor when they are publicly announced later this year.
Surrey will consider appointing a general head of cricket with responsibilities for the men’s and women’s teams, equivalent to a sporting director role at a football club. They have no intention of making a firm decision until they have more clarity on the internal structure for 2025 and beyond.
Stewart has advised Surrey that any new hire should be someone who “understands the club” and is not intimidated by the level of expectations at The Oval. He has held the position since 2013 and has been associated with the county since his birth, following his father Micky in representing them as a player.
“You have to understand this club,” Stewart said. “That’s a big thing: the expectations, the size, the perception of this place. So, if you’ve been in and around this place… I think it gives you a real advantage, if you understand everything that’s expected.” of the”. Surrey and the Kia Oval.
“The Kia Oval is home to Surrey, but it’s also the conference and events business, which is flying, with its size and its expectations. If you can deal with all that, then you’ve got a good chance.
“But it can eat you up if you don’t understand it or [if you think], ‘God, is it as big as this?’ “It can eat you up pretty quickly, whether you’re a manager, an employee, a player or whatever, because of what, historically, the club has achieved.”
Vikram Solanki, who spent 18 months as Surrey head coach, is in his third season as director of cricket for the Gujarat Titans. He would be the favorite if he were to apply for him, but he may be reluctant to leave his IPL franchise. The same goes for Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting, who played for Surrey during Stewart’s tenure but are Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket and Delhi Capitals’ head coach respectively.
Tom Moody, who coaches Oval Invincibles and is director of cricket at Desert Vipers in the ILT20, would be another strong contender for a similar role to Stewart. A possible internal candidate is Surrey assistant coach Jim Troughton, who recently completed a master’s degree at the Institute of Sports Humanities, co-founded by former England manager Ed Smith.
Stewart has told the club’s hierarchy that he will “help in any way they want” to manage his departure after 11 years in the role, although he does not expect to be part of the interview panel. “Will they ask me who I could think of from any list they have? I think they probably will,” he said. “Will they listen? No idea.”
He believes the counties have become more ruthless since he returned to Surrey, although he is not convinced that this is a good thing. “The need to win has become greater. You see more turnover of coaches and team managers in the last decade. It almost has that football mentality of, ‘If you don’t win, we’ll move you and bring in someone else.’
“What is county cricket? Yes, it’s easy to judge success by trophies. But also, what is your academy and your track record like? How many players are you going to add to your staff and play in England? The success of a county may be different from another county’s success.
Stewart, who turns 61 next week, has made it clear that he will not retire but will take a break from the game while continuing to care for his wife Lynn, who is battling cancer. “If I can still stay in and around the game in some way, then that’s what I’d like to do,” he said. “But this job requires 100% attention and that is the reason why I told the club I would resign.”
Surrey begin their County Championship season in Lancashire on Friday as they chase a third successive title. “We were good last year, but I didn’t think we were great,” Stewart said. “We don’t take anything for granted. Yes, we may be favorites, but that doesn’t mean anything. We all start with zero points… England will come and attack us, we will have injuries and it’s [about] how we cope and react.”
Matt Roller is assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
