Peter Moores sacked: ECB should hang heads in shame - Stewart

Alec Stewart, right, became England's most-capped Test cricketer in 2002

The England and Wales Cricket Board should "hang their heads in shame" over the treatment of Peter Moores and must act quickly to appoint his successor, says former captain Alec Stewart.

Moores, 52, was sacked as England coach on Saturday after Andrew Strauss was appointed national director of cricket.

But the news was leaked on Friday during England's washed out one-day international with Ireland in Dublin.

Stewart said Strauss is an "excellent person" who "knows cricket inside out".

The 52-year-old told BBC Sport: "The ECB should hang their head in shame, the way it's been dealt with.

"The fact that all these leaks came out the day before the man was officially told - you've got to show a bit of respect to employees."

England assistant coach Paul Farbrace will take charge for the two-Test series against New Zealand, which starts at Lord's on 21 May.

"They've either got someone lined up already, to have made this decision, or they're going to have to find someone pretty quick," said Stewart.

He is positive about the appointment of Strauss, also a former England skipper, and confident the team can beat Australia in the Ashes, which begin in Cardiff on 8 July.

Stewart, who played in 133 Tests, said: "He's captained his country and when you're captain you make bold decisions, you make brave decisions, you make decisions you believe in.

"I don't take it that Andrew Strauss is a 'yes' man or he's too close to that dressing room. If he has to be cut-throat then he will be.

"Yes, it's going to be tough - Australia are best side in the world. Yes, they're going to start as the underdogs, but the underdogs do sometimes win."

Stewart was contacted about the role taken by Strauss but wished to remain in his position as director of cricket at Surrey.

"My views on how the role could be done were obviously different to the ECB's, so I was never going to be a candidate," he said.

"My job is to try and make Surrey successful and to provide players to Andrew Strauss and England."

Peter Moores was sacked following a poor World Cup and drawn Test series with West Indies

Another former England captain who said he was approached about the director's job, Michael Vaughan, says the ECB needs to show some "quiet authority and integrity".

"The ECB brought this on themselves," Vaughan told the Telegraph. "They had the ideal opportunity to remove Peter at the end of the World Cup.

"We could have had a new coach bedding in with the team in the West Indies, but instead the ECB dithered and we have wasted another month with an Ashes series looming."