Alec Stewart is braced for the 바카라toughest바카라 season yet, but has still set Surrey the target of winning a third consecutive Vitality County Championship title.
It was confirmed last month that Stewart would leave his director of cricket role at the end of 2024 in order to spend more time with his family following 11 years in the post.
Stewart signed his first contract with the county in 1981 and has been involved in six Championship successes, but he is striving for one more.
While there have been multiple back-to-back Division One winners in recent seasons, Brian Close바카라s Yorkshire side from the 1960s are the last team to win three Championships in a row.
Chelsea-fan Stewart is well aware of how difficult that will be, especially with a T20 World Cup in June, but has challenged Surrey to go up a level in the longest format and to fulfil their potential in white-ball cricket with an overdue Vitality Blast win.
바카라It바카라ll be the hardest year because of the World Cup,바카라 Stewart reflected.
바카라We바카라ll have players who will go from the IPL (Indian Premier League), straight into the World Cup or near enough.
바카라This season is the toughest because it바카라s an extra month or six weeks that we won바카라t have those players for, but we바카라ve known that, so therefore you try and plan for that.
바카라I바카라m greedy, I want to win everything. We won it (Vitality Blast) in 2003, the first year, and we바카라ve got to Finals Day since but we haven바카라t won it.
바카라So, of course I바카라d like to win it, but so would 17 other counties.
바카라The Championship is still, for me, the pinnacle. The fact we바카라ve won it two in two is fantastic. Can we do it three in three? That바카라s what we바카라re going for.
바카라And then it바카라s how do we play, because the champions are always the side to beat and have we got the skillsets? And can we up our game enough?
바카라We were good last year, but I didn바카라t think we were great last year.바카라
Surrey players are determined to give Stewart a fitting farewell, but even the former England captain knows it will not really be goodbye.
The Kia Oval has largely been Stewart바카라s home for the best part of five decades and even longer for the family given his father Micky made his debut for the county in 1954.
Stewart acknowledged: 바카라It바카라s never going to end. Formally, yes, but I바카라ll still be coming to this place or still feel a part of it.
바카라They want me to try and stay in some role but I바카라ve said, I바카라m never going to walk away completely, but they바카라ve got to get the person in place first, because that person may not want me hanging about, which I fully understand.
바카라So, yep, I바카라m stepping down from a role I have thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy. And then in December or whenever it will be, then I바카라ll drive out and say goodbye.
바카라Whatever job you바카라re in, you want to leave it in a better shape than when you took it over. That바카라s for others to judge, but we바카라ve certainly made progress.
바카라I want to win every trophy, but I get as much enjoyment seeing a (Ollie) Pope, (Will) Jacks or (Jamie) Smith come through our system as youngsters, come into our first team and then going to play for England because that to me counts as success.
바카라The trophy cabinet has the Championship in it at the minute, but if you have another cabinet, it바카라d be full of Surrey players that have come through the pathway then got England caps.바카라
