Alec Stewart sidesteps England question at Cricketers Trust unveiling

But Stewart brushed aside a question about the prospect of working within the England set-up on Thursday, saying: “You’re looking for a headline aren’t you? There’s no job available so that’s a question that’s not going to be answered.

“I came back full-time (to Surrey) after standing down last year for my own reasons and my wife’s health. I came back into this and got my feet under the desk again.

“It’s a question I can’t answer because there’s no job to say yes or no to, but all I want is Surrey to be the best and England to be the best. Simple.”

Stewart was speaking at his unveiling as the new president of the Cricketers’ Trust, the charity which provides support to members of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and their families. He succeeds David Graveney, the former England selector, and said it was an “easy decision” to accept the role when approached by trustee Ian Thomas.

Stewart’s revelation coincided with the release of the Trust’s first ‘impact report’ detailing the £1m spent on support for players, ex-players and their families in England and Wales over the past five years.

The report highlights the support the Trust gave to two of Stewart’s former England teammates: David ‘Syd’ Lawrence, during his battle with Motor Neurone Disease, and the family of Graham Thorpe, who died in 2024 after suffering from depression and anxiety.

“What the Trust has done – and is doing – for the Thorpe family is outstanding, and Syd Lawrence’s family would say the same,” Stewart said. “The support through and after is so crucial – and the after support is even more important at times. Amanda (Thorpe) and the girls – even Henry and Amelia from their first marriage – receive the support when they need it.

“It’s so important, otherwise you end up being left on your own, and that’s where the Trust has been brilliant. The county (Surrey) has done what they can do, ECB has done what they can do, but I know the Trust has gone above and beyond.

“(They) don’t care whether Thorpey was a brilliant player or only played one first-class game: the Trust will provide equal support to that type of individual, and that’s the most important thing … The Trust is there to support those families.”

Stewart said he hopes his in-game profile will help the Trust’s fundraising efforts in his new role as president: “If my name or some of my words can help expand where the Trust is and what it can offer and the help it can provide… It’s not about giving back, it’s really about looking forward.

“Support is the biggest thing. I’ve been part of this game for a long time. If it means helping the present and the future, then that’s what I’m willing to do. When I signed up, I said, ‘Look, I’m employed full-time as Surrey’s director of cricket, but what I can give I’ll certainly do’, and that’s what I want to do.”