Paul Collingwood

[Twisted]

for anyone not read it yet...

Colly is looking to stick with Durham

Paul Collingwood has assured Durham’s top brass that he has no plans to hang up his first-class boots, despite announcing his Test retirement after England retained the Ashes with a third innings victory in five Tests at Sydney earlier this month.

The England and Durham all-rounder insists he’s got plenty of county cricket left in him, which will be welcome news for Riverside members.

And Collingwood also confirmed his intention to keep leading England’s Twenty20 side.

“I am definitely not retiring from playing for Durham,”

Collingwood insisted.

“I’ve only retired from Test cricket and nothing else. I want to keep playing one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals for England and county cricket for Durham.”

Collingwood, left out of the one-day side in Sunday’s dramatic loss in Melbourne, decided to hang up his Test boots after suffering an uncharacteristic form slump in the Ashes series when he managed just 83 runs in six innings at a dismal 13.83 average – way below his impressive Test batting average of 40.56.

But the Shotley Bridge lad has always been worth more to his country than mere statistics would suggest.

One of the finest fielders in world cricket, Collingwood was also a handy bowler and the most unselfish cricketer in England’s set-up.

The former England oneday international captain has even earned the respect of Australian legend Shane Warne.

Four years ago, during England’s disastrous Ashes tour of Australia, Warne mocked Collingwood for accepting an MBE alongside every victorious England player, for winning the epic 2005 Ashes series on home soil, despite the Durham batsman playing just one Test at The Oval, when he scored only 17 in two innings.

The spin king repeatedly urged Collingwood to throw the Queen’s honour back over the Buckingham Palace fence, but at Sydney, Warne grudgingly changed his mind.

“Paul Collingwood has been a wonderful contributor to English cricket and I wish him well for the future,”

Warne said.

“I still think making 17 runs in one Test doesn’t warrant an MBE, but I suppose I should let it go.”

Former Durham captain David Boon, who led the Riversiders for three seasons from 1996-98, believes England will struggle to replace Collingwood with a player of equal ability and humility.

Tasmania’s greatest ever cricketer and the veteran of 107 Tests and 181 one-day internationals for Australia from 1984-1995, played a pivotal role in Collingwood’s early development as a county professional and has continued to admire his abilities on the other side of the fence as a selector.

“Paul has always had talent and leadership qualities, ever since the first time I saw him at Durham as a young man,”

Boon said.

“He also had a desire and a work ethic to be the best he could be, which has shown in his international career.

“He has captained England which is a huge honour, and in my opinion he has been the heartbeat of the England team.

“I feel proud and privileged to have been an influence on Colly’s career and enjoyed every minute of my time with him at Durham even though I didn’t enjoy it when he thwarted Australia.

“I congratulate Colly and wish him all the best for the future because he is a credit to himself, his family, Durham and England.”

very pleased to read and some great comments in there, david boon's in particular made me so proud of our lad

 

[stephen cartwright]

great read that.

looking forward to seeing some colly batting, fielding and bowling this year

 

[Icarebecauseyoudo]

Good stuff

 

[Big Bad Bri]

That's a great tribute from Boon and well deserved too. As SC says it will be really good to see Colly playing for Durham this season.

Boylesports have us at 4/1 joint 2nd favourites to win the LVCC. Not a bad price if he can re-find his form and bolster our fragile batting line-up.

 

[Icarebecauseyoudo]

That's a great tribute from Boon and well deserved too. As SC says it will be really good to see Colly playing for Durham this season.

Boylesports have us at 4/1 joint 2nd favourites to win the LVCC. Not a bad price if he can re-find his form and bolster our fragile batting line-up.

If. Who are favs? The ciders? Yorkie boy reckons Notts will be one season wonders

 

[Twisted]

That's a great tribute from Boon and well deserved too. As SC says it will be really good to see Colly playing for Durham this season.

Boylesports have us at 4/1 joint 2nd favourites to win the LVCC. Not a bad price if he can re-find his form and bolster our fragile batting line-up.

he still has commitments to england odi, t20 & IPL so its not like he'll play every game for us, will still be a part timer. another year nearer the door for benks & diva & harmison, blackwell future is still undecided isnt it? onions not back yet.

our squad is still not what it once was, and alot will depend on the ever erratic form of the likes of muchall, coetzer and plunkett. not to mention what goes on with will smith and mustards captaincy.

we could be anywhere between first and last - now thats a decent bet

 

[Aleem Dar]

If, as I suspect he may, he retires from the One-Day scene then Durham should scrap the two captain system and install Colly as captain for all teams.

 

[My Boy Harry]

My two penneth is that I dont think we'll see much of him.

Unless we can find some form of sponsorship for him I'd be very surprised if the club could afford him for as long as there is Di Venuto, Benkenstein, Harmison and Onions on the books.

He's signed to play for the Rahjastan Royals, he'll be playing 20/20 and ODI's for England etc. as well.

We'll see like.

 

[Big Bad Bri]

If. Who are favs? The ciders? Yorkie boy reckons Notts will be one season wonders

Somerset 7/2
Durham & Notts 4/1
Yorks & Lancs 7/1
Hants & Sussex 8/1
Warks 12/1
Worcs 100/1

With regards to Twisted's point about Colly probably not being available much due to international commitments I've checked the fixtures and whilst he will miss the end of the domestic T20 campaign (assuming he is chosen for the England squads) I think he may only be unavailable for 3 or 4 county championship games so it is perhaps not as bad as you fear.

I haven't taken the IPL into consideration though as I'm not sure when that is played or whether he will be chosen given his current form.

 

[My Boy Harry]

he still has commitments to england odi, t20 & IPL so its not like he'll play every game for us, will still be a part timer. another year nearer the door for benks & diva & harmison, blackwell future is still undecided isnt it? onions not back yet.

our squad is still not what it once was, and alot will depend on the ever erratic form of the likes of muchall, coetzer and plunkett. not to mention what goes on with will smith and mustards captaincy.

we could be anywhere between first and last - now thats a decent bet

I think, as a group, there is one final really good season in them but after this year I think it will start to break up.

Di Venuto is in his last year, as is Blackwell. Benkenstein has next year and then we'll see what happens with him.

Somerset 7/2
Durham & Notts 4/1
Yorks & Lancs 7/1
Hants & Sussex 8/1
Warks 12/1
Worcs 100/1

With regards to Twisted's point about Colly probably not being available much due to international commitments I've checked the fixtures and whilst he will miss the end of the domestic T20 campaign (assuming he is chosen for the England squads) I think he may only be unavailable for 3 or 4 county championship games so it is perhaps not as bad as you fear.

I haven't taken the IPL into consideration though as I'm not sure when that is played or whether he will be chosen given his current form.

He's signed a contract with the R Royals marra.

 

[stephen cartwright]

when is the IPL on this year?

straight after the world cup?

also as i am asking, when is the domestic T20 being played this summer?

 

[Icarebecauseyoudo]

IPL finishes late May iirc

when is the domestic T20 being played this summer?

Starts end of April, 5 matches a week until late September

 

[Poledancer]

...

 

[Icarebecauseyoudo]

...

Aye Poley, it was a joke

 

[Big Bad Bri]

when is the domestic T20 being played this summer?

The group stages start on June 1st and finish over 6 weeks later on July 15th. Quarter finals are on Aug 6th-8th and keep your diary free for Finals Day at Edgebaston on Sat Aug 27th. We could visit our friend Darren at the same time.

Durham do have 2 CC matches during the T20 group stages but it is still a ridiculously long period of time to play the short form of the game. Next season the ECB must revert back to 3 groups of 6 so teams only have to play 10 games (in a maximum of 4 weeks) rather than 16 as they do now.

He's signed a contract with the R Royals marra.

Cheers MBH, I didn't know that. Don't really follow the IPL TBH. TTFN

 

[essex boy]

Somerset 7/2
Durham & Notts 4/1
Yorks & Lancs 7/1
Hants & Sussex 8/1
Warks 12/1
Worcs 100/1

With regards to Twisted's point about Colly probably not being available much due to international commitments I've checked the fixtures and whilst he will miss the end of the domestic T20 campaign (assuming he is chosen for the England squads) I think he may only be unavailable for 3 or 4 county championship games so it is perhaps not as bad as you fear.

I haven't taken the IPL into consideration though as I'm not sure when that is played or whether he will be chosen given his current form.

slightly off topic but Hampshire are going to struggle this year.

 

[Big Bad Bri]

slightly off topic but Hampshire are going to struggle this year.

Why? Is Jimmy signing for them?