Surreys Alec Stewart is taking a break from cricket to care for his wife | Surrey

Alec Stewart has taken a temporary leave of absence from his role as Surreys’ director of cricket to care for his wife Lynn as she begins a new round of treatment for the cancer she was first diagnosed with in 2013.

In order to provide for his wife and family during this difficult time, Alec has decided to temporarily step down from his day-to-day duties, Surrey said in a statement.

Steve Elworthy, Surreys chief executive, will take over as director of cricket on an interim basis. All our thoughts are with Alec, Lynn and the family and we wish them all the best,” Elworthy said. The club fully supports Alec and the family during his absence and asks everyone to respect his request for privacy.

Stewart, who played 133 Tests for England and played 266 first-class matches for Surrey during his 22-year playing career, has been married to Lynn since 1991. He retired from first-class cricket in 2003 and was appointed executive director of the Oval in 2011, and has been director of cricket since 2014. Under his guidance, Surrey have won promotion from Division 2 of the County Championship the following year and have won the title twice, including last year.

Last March, he was considered the favorite for the then-vacant England Men’s Cricket CEO position at the England and Wales Cricket Board and withdrew from the selection process for unspecified family reasons. Rob Key, who eventually got the job, then tried to recruit Stewart as England’s chief selector, but again he decided not to move, and Luke Wright was appointed as his replacement.

Meanwhile, Gary Ballance, the 33-year-old former England batsman who is set to make his second international debut for the country of his birth later this month, was on Wednesday named in Zimbabwe’s squad for their three-match ODI series against Ireland. has accepted five Cricket Discipline Commission charges he faced over allegations of racist behavior in Yorkshire. He no longer has to attend the committee hearings, which will be postponed in the spring due to the adjournment last November.