ALEC Stewart thinks England could be in store for a historic summer of cricket, with the hosts among the favourites for a home World Cup and an Ashes series to follow.

A drawn Test series with Pakistan was followed by wins over India and Sri Lanka this year, proof in Stewart’s eyes that England are moving in the right direction.

“They’re showing that they’re a squad that is growing, evolving, and as well as the white-ball squad have done under Eoin Morgan, I think we’re seeing the Test squad grow as well,” said Stewart.

“Joe Root is now being seen very much as the leader of that group.

“It was always going to be a little bit hard for him when he took over from Alastair Cook with Alastair still in the team. Now he can really get his fingerprints all over it and mould it in the way he wants to.”

England must first negotiate a tour of the West Indies, before returning to home soil for a World Cup that Stewart thinks England should be aiming to win.

“I always say don’t enter a tournament or a series if you’re not confident,” he said.

“But because they are making progress in all formats, it could be a very exciting 12 months ahead.

“They should start as favourites to win the Test series in the West Indies. The World Cup, they will start as favourites or joint-favourites, I’d suggest.

“And then the Ashes, it’s going to be a great contest. Australia have had their well-documented issues.

“I’m sure they will bring back the three banned players, or certainly Warner and Smith will come back, so that will be a challenge but again I’d suggest that if we’re sat here again next year we’ll be saying how well England have done in all formats.”

Stewart was speaking at the Sports Journalists’ Association’s British Sports Awards, where he presented England’s explosive young all-rounder Sam Curran with the SJA Peter Wilson Trophy for International Newcomer.

Curran took the cricketing world by storm in 2018 and even Stewart, who has watched Curran since his junior days, admitted to being taken aback by his progress.

“He was always going to be a top player, don’t worry about that. From when I first saw him as a 14-year-old, he was a standout for his age group and he took to playing for Surrey straight away. Each level he’s gone up, he has stood up and performed.

“So when he took his chance in the summer … I won’t say it didn’t come as a surprise, it surprised me just how well he’s done, how settled into that environment he has become.

“There’ll be tough times ahead, as there always are for any player, but what he’s done so far we can only applaud and say well done.” (Yahoo Sport-UK)