Cricket mourns the death of legend Sir Alec Bedser
TRIBUTES flooded in yesterday for Surrey and England bowling legend Sir Alec Bedser, who died after a short illness on Sunday night at the age of 91.
Bedser took 236 wickets in 51 Tests over 10 years before spending a record 23 years as an England selector.
Having led Surrey to eight County Championships as a player, he was made county president in 1987 and was then knighted nine years later.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: “Alec Bedser deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest England bowlers of all time, a master of the craft of seam bowling and a true legend of the game.”
Former Prime Minister Sir John Major, a keen Surrey and England fan, added: “Alec Bedser was one of the greatest medium fast bowlers of all time.
“He was also one of the great thinkers about cricket and his wisdom was one of the great untapped resources of the modern game.
“As a young boy at The Oval, Alec was my bowling idol. In later years he became a friend I cherished greatly.
“Few people have served cricket better. None will be more missed.”