Collingwood on reluctance to play for Durham – then making up for it
THIS summer will be the first since 1995 that Paul Collingwood has not been a Durham player but the former England captain says for a long time he did not really feel like one or even want to be one.
It drove him to more than make up for it in the twilight of his career.
Collingwood speaks candidly about his time as a Durham player in Five Trophies and a Funeral, a new book published on Thursday.
The all-rounder from Shotley Bridge proved beyond doubt his passion for his home county during six seasons as captain which took him up to the age of 42 - but he admits it was not always there.
Collingwood was an all-formats regular for England from the end of the
2005 season until 2011. He played 245 games in that period, including warm-up matches on England tours. Only four were in the Championship, plus 13 limited-overs matches for Durham. He did not make his domestic Twenty20 debut until 2008, playing six times. He admits: “I was not a Durham player then and to be honest with you I did not want to be either,. “I always felt I was the one people wanted out of the (England) team so it was a constant mental battle. “So when I had the opportunity to have a week off, the last thing I wanted to do was come back and play for Durham. “It was almost like the start of a new career and being part of a totally isolated team, putting all my efforts into it. “In many ways that was why I came back after I retired because I knew fine well I did not give anything during that period. “You want to give something back once you have finished putting all your efforts into international cricket.” Collingwood played 300 times for his country and is the only person to lead the Three Lions to win a major tournament, the 2010 World Twenty20 Championships. He is now on the coaching staff. His biggest quality was incredible mental toughness and he admits he needed it when he first broke into Durham’s first team. He added: “I don’t think I really felt comfortable until my fourth or fifth year. “My first four or five years were really mediocre, to be honest.” Collingwood was unsure if he wanted to continue playing once his England career came to an end in early 2011 but went on to have an Indian summer as a Durham player - leading them to the 2013 County Championship against all the odds and winning player of the tournament as Durham lifted the One-Day Cup the following season. He said: “It was not until I was given the captaincy (in 2012) I was really 100% switched on but as soon as I got that I was accountable. “I thought I could make a difference and I became like a juggernaut coming in with ideas, telling Geoff (Cook, Durham’s coach) we should have more coaches, ideas I had brought from England.
“I think Geoff was probably, ‘Woah! This is not what I expected!’ “I was accountable and as soon as that is the case you want to do the best job you possibly can and you want everyone else to be accountable too.
“I felt I was improving technically, I had more areas to score in and I probably erred more on the aggressive side.
“After 10 years of grafting at international level there comes a point where you just have to go out there and enjoy it and try to put the bowler under pressure rather than yourself. In some ways I was a better player.”
Durham admitted recently they have spoken to Collingwood about a possible return as a Twenty20 coach next season.
■ FIVE Trophies and a Funeral: The Building and Rebuilding of Durham County Cricket Club, is published on Thursday.
I always felt I was the one people wanted out of the (England) team so it was a constant mental battle Paul Collingwood