ALEC STEWART: I’m glad to have stars back in the squad

Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart says having England players Rory Burns, Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope available for the initial eight-match group phase of the County Championship means Surrey can go into the new season confident of reproducing the form they showed en route to being crowned champions in 2018.

He also expects opener Burns to win back his place at the top of the order for England, following a winter that saw the Surrey captain make just 58 runs in two Tests against India.

Stewart puts Surrey’s poor showing in last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy down to a combination of international calls and another season dominated by injuries. Indeed, when the Oval outfit were at close to full strength in 2020, they put together a run that carried them to the final of the T20 Blast.

“The England bubble took away seven or eight of our players,” said Stewart. “When we got two of our England players back for the last round of the Bob Willis Trophy, we won that game.

“Injuries also hurt us massively. What summed that up was even with the size of our squad, we had to bring in players on loan. We normally cater for four players being away with England. But when that’s doubled up, it makes it harder. The shortened pre-season last year affected our injury list. Some were obscure injuries.

“Of those who did play, some got opportunities sooner than they would have done, had it been a normal year. But, as a group, we didn’t play well enough. I’ve always said I want our players to play for England. But I hope it’s not a repeat of squads of 25, because we’re the county who gets hit the hardest.

“If you can only pick from eleven it’s straightforward, but it’s not what you want. We want to say to people we can only pick eleven and that’s why you’re not playing. We want to make tough decisions, but also to be honest with the players who aren’t playing.”

Surrey have also gone for experience in terms of their two overseas signings – number three batsman Hashim Amla (South Africa) and seamer Kemar Roach (West Indies).

“Hash will play the Kumar Sangakkara role,” said Stewart. “He’s a world-class player and we’ve always said it’s not what he does on the field, with his run scoring, it’s also what he’s like in the dressing room and on the training ground.

“To have someone of his calibre has been shown to be very beneficial. The way Sangakkara helped the whole squad – Burns and Pope, everyone, learnt so much from him and will continue to learn from Hash as well.

“Kemar is in for seven of the first eight games because various airlines have cancelled flights into the UK from the Caribbean; so he won’t be eligible to play in the first match, at Bristol.

“We’ve lost Morne Morkel, he’s retired. And with the Covid situation, international fixtures and plenty of unknowns we’ll get Kemar in for seven games and then we’ll get someone in for the T20s and the last few championship games.

“The flexibility is not there and, also, I’ll be honest, our budgets have been cut. So, whereas before we’ve generally had two overseas players plus an overseas player for the T20, it will be different this year for us, as it will be for a number of counties due to the financial impact Covid has had.

“Both of them are not just fine cricketers, they are good people. That’s what you want. You learn from good people, not just from what they do out in the middle. They will set standards that others will have to reach. Why wouldn’t people look at how they go about their business and say ‘if it’s food enough for them, it’s good enough for me’.”

Stewart is also pleased to have Rory Burns back as captain, even though he expects the left-hander to be back in the England fold on 2 June for the first Test against New Zealand.

“Without sounding too biased, he is a very impressive person,” said Stewart. “He’s special and a real fighter. He’s been that since he was thirteen.

“He’s come off a unique tour on surfaces where India struggled as well. Let’s not just say England struggled on it. You’ve got Virat Kohli, one of the best players in the world, and what did he average? Twenty-nine or something?

“Burnsey then got left out. Whether that was the right decision or not. Anyone can argue other people should have been left out as well.

“It was tough and I’m not saying you just forget that series, but you have to put it in perspective and not forget all the good that England as a group did against West Indies and Pakistan (last summer) and Sri Lanka.

“I’d be very surprised if Burnsey doesn’t score heavily for us in these eight (championship) games and I’d be even more surprised if he’s not walking out to bat alongside Dom Sibley in the first Test match against New Zealand.”

Stewart added: “It’s great for us to have our leader back and the qualities of Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes. The more quality we have around the better it is, but it’s the experience as well. Yes, they’re quality cricketers, but it’s the experience they bring to the environment which everyone else bounces off.

“But none more so than having your captain back. It’s massive. Everyone knows where they stand with him and tactically he’s very good. He’s an outstanding cricketer.”

The former England captain has also hinted that Surrey’s recent injuries woes are best avoided by rotating the bowling attack.

“To have the same attack for all eight games is a massive ask; and, to me, it won’t happen. It wouldn’t be healthy, because the intensity will drop off.

“Injuries happen, but if we get the planning right, we’re giving ourselves a better chance of having people available for a length of time.”

Surrey’s 2021 campaign gets underway on Thursday, at Bristol, where they will take on Gloucestershire in the County Championship.