England bank on old hand

Stewart arrives in the Australian city of Perth on Friday

This time last year Alec Stewart's England career looked to have run its course.

The 39-year-old decided to skip the tour to India and was not selected for the trip to New Zealand which followed.

One year on and the veteran Surrey player is Down Under for another bash at the Australians.

Last summer young wicket-keeping rival James Foster broke his arm and Stewart seized his chance to re-claim his place in the side.

In addition to his important role behind the stumps and batting in the lower middle order, Stewart's experience could prove invaluable to England.

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"I have experience behind me and I will be offering advice," he said.

"I will do anything I can do to help bring on a player, whether it is Nasser Hussain as captain, or whether it is the youngest player."

This winter's trip will be Stewart's fourth - and surely final - Ashes tour, and he cannot wait for the action to start.

"It is the best tour from my point of view," he said. "I had eight years playing club cricket in Perth in the 1980s and it is a great country, I enjoy the people and playing there.

I don't hide behind the fact that Australia are the best side but we can beat them

Alex Stewart

"It is a tough contest but that is what it is all about. It is why I am still playing 12, 13 years after I first started."

England will be weakened by the absence of Stewart's Surrey colleague Graham Thorpe because of domestic problems, but the veteran is confident England will cope.

"We know about Graham Thorpe's domestic problems away from cricket but he has probably played only a few games in the last two Ashes series," said Stewart.

"He is a class player but he has not featured much in the last 10 games against them."

Throughout his career Stewart's focus and attitude has been one of his strongest suits, and he hopes his positive approach will rub off on the rest of the team.

"I don't hide behind the fact that Australia are the best side but we can beat them," he said.

"If you go out thinking they are the best side, how on earth can we beat them, we'll try and get a draw here or there, that is the wrong attitude."

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