Paul Collingwood facts for kids

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Paul Collingwood

Collingwood in 2019

Personal information

Full name

Paul David Collingwood

Born

26 May 1976 (age 49)
Shotley Bridge, County Durham, England

Nickname

Colly, Brigadier Block

Height

5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Batting

Right-handed

Bowling

Right-arm medium

Role

All-rounder

International information

National side

England (2001–2011)

Test debut (cap 622)

2 December 2003 v Sri Lanka

Last Test

3 January 2011 v Australia

ODI debut (cap 162)

7 June 2001 v Pakistan

Last ODI

11 March 2011 v Bangladesh

ODI shirt no.

5 (previously 50)

T20I debut (cap 1)

13 June 2005 v Australia

Last T20I

13 September 2017 v Pakistan

T20I shirt no.

Domestic team information

Years

Team

1995–2018

Durham (squad no. 5)

2009–2010

Delhi Daredevils (squad no. 5)

2011–2012

Perth Scorchers

2012

Impi

Career statistics

Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	68	197	306	428
Runs scored	4,259	5,078	16,938	11,240
Batting average	40.56	35.51	35.65	34.26
100s/50s	10/20	5/26	35/85	10/65
Top score	206	120*	206	132
Balls bowled	1,905	5,144	12,706	11,482
Wickets	17	111	166	273
Bowling average	59.88	38.46	38.53	33.80
5 wickets in innings	0	1	2	1
10 wickets in match	0	0	0	0
Best bowling	3/23	6/31	5/52	6/31
Catches/stumpings	96/–	108/–	352/–	207/–

Source: ESPNcricinfo, 27 September 2018

Paul David Collingwood (born 26 May 1976) is a famous English cricket coach and former player. He played for England in all three types of international cricket games. He also played for Durham County Cricket Club.

Collingwood was a regular player for England's Test team. He also became the captain of the One Day International (ODI) team from 2007 to 2008. He was the very first captain for England's Twenty20 International (T20I) team. As captain, he led England to win their first major trophy, the 2010 World Twenty20. He even scored the winning run in the final match!

He was a batting all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He was known for hitting the ball well and also for his strong defense. Collingwood was also a good medium pace bowler. People called him a "natural athlete" because he was one of the best fielders of his time. He often fielded in key positions like backward point. Sometimes, he even filled in as wicket-keeper for England.

Paul Collingwood played his first professional cricket match in 1996. He first played for England in a One Day International game in 2001. His Test match debut came in 2003. For a couple of years, he played Test matches only sometimes. But after being chosen for the last Test of the 2005 Ashes series, he became a regular player.

In the 2006–07 Ashes series, he scored 206 runs. This was the first time an England batsman scored over 200 runs in Australia in 78 years! He also had three amazing performances in the 2006–07 Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia. These helped England win the trophy. He was England's most-played ODI cricketer until May 2019. He was also the top ODI run scorer until 2015.

He stopped playing Test cricket in January 2011. This was during the last Test of the 2010–11 Ashes series. He ended his Test career on a high note, winning the Ashes three times. England won a series in Australia for the first time in 24 years! He retired from all professional cricket in September 2018.

After stopping playing, Collingwood became a coach. He coached for Scotland and Durham CCC. In 2014, he joined the England Cricket Team as a coach for shorter games and as a fielding coach. In February 2022, he became the temporary head coach for the men's England cricket team.

Early Life and Family

Paul Collingwood was born and grew up in Shotley Bridge, a town near Consett in County Durham, England. His parents are David and Janet. He has an older brother named Peter. He went to Blackfyne Comprehensive School, which is now called Consett Academy.

Paul started playing cricket on the school fields. He was so good that he joined Shotley Bridge's Under-13s team when he was only nine years old! His father, who is still a member of the Shotley Bridge Cricket Club, convinced him to focus on cricket instead of football when he was a teenager. Collingwood still visits his old cricket club often. People there say he is a great role model for young players.

He lives in Northumberland and has three daughters: Shannon (born 2006), Keira (born 2008), and Hannah Mae (born 2011). He is a big fan of Sunderland AFC, a football team. His nicknames are 'Colly', ‘Brigadier Block’, and 'Shep'. 'Brigadier Block' was given to him by another cricketer, Nasser Hussain, because he was so good at playing defensive shots.

Playing for His County Team

Starting with Durham

Paul Collingwood joined Durham, his local cricket team, in 1995. He first played in List A one-day games. When Durham first noticed him, they thought he was mainly a bowler who could bat a little. His coach, Geoff Cook, said in 2006 that Paul's strong will, more than his natural talent, made him stand out.

Cook explained that Paul had some talent, but not more than other young players. He had bad luck with a back injury and missed a lot of games. A less determined person might have given up. But Paul worked harder than ever before. He couldn't bowl as much at first, so he focused on batting. That's when his batting talent really showed. By the time he joined the Under-19 team, he was batting at the top of the order. The next year, he was offered a professional contract.

First-Class Debut

Collingwood played his first first–class match against Northamptonshire in 1996. This was at Durham's home ground, the Riverside Ground. He made a great start! With his very first ball, he took the wicket of former England player David Capel. He also scored 91 runs in his first batting turn.

However, his first few years as a professional player were steady but not amazing. From 1996 to 2000, his batting average was between 20 and 30. His bowling average was between 30 and 60.

Breakthrough Season

His big breakthrough came in 2000. Durham fans voted him Player of the Year, especially for his one-day game efforts. After a back injury, his performance varied. But in 2001, he played exceptionally well in both the County Championship and one-day games. From 2001 onwards, Collingwood's batting average was over 40 four times. His bowling average was less than 40 three times.

To improve his skills, Collingwood went to Australia for their 2000–01 season. He played for the Richmond Cricket Club in the tough Melbourne Premier League. At the end of the season, he won the Jack Ryder Medal. This award is for the best player in the league. He was the first Richmond player to ever win it.

Durham County Cricket Club only became a first-class team in 1992. In 2006, they had their best results in both league championships. In 2007, they won the Friends Provident Trophy. Collingwood scored 22 runs and took 3 wickets for 33 runs in that final. However, he played less for Durham that year because he was busy with England games.

In 2005, Collingwood played in 13 County Championship games. He scored 1103 runs and took 21 wickets. His batting average was 55.15 and his bowling average was 31.90. This helped him get called back to play for England.

Durham gave Collingwood a special "benefit year" in 2007. This is a reward for long service to a county team. He chose to support two charities: Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Cricket Foundation's "Chance to Shine" project. This project helps teach cricket in state schools. In the same year, he helped Durham reach their first Friends Provident Trophy final, which they won.

Playing in India

England players were allowed to play in the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Collingwood was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for $275,000. In 2011, the Rajasthan Royals signed him for $250,000. But he couldn't play in IPL4 because of a knee injury he got during the World Cup.

Playing for England

First Games for England

Collingwood's good performance for Durham in 2001 led to him being chosen for England's One Day International (ODI) team. He played in the NatWest Series against Pakistan and Australia that summer. He became the 162nd player to play for England in ODI cricket.

His first ODI game in June 2001 was not very successful. He scored only two runs and took no wickets against Pakistan. He also did not do well in the rest of the series. But the selectors still believed in him. They chose him for the 2001–02 one-day tour of Zimbabwe. There, he took his first ODI wicket. He also scored a match-winning 77 runs in one game and an unbeaten 56 in another. This helped England win the series 5–0.

Collingwood played in all seven matches of the 2002 NatWest Series against India and Sri Lanka. England lost the final to India. His batting and bowling were not great in this series. But he scored his first ODI century in Australia in 2002/2003. This helped him keep his place in the England one-day team.

He dislocated his right shoulder while fielding in 2003. This made him miss most of the 2003 season. But he still got a 12-month contract with the ECB. He made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in December 2003. He became the 622nd Englishman to play Test cricket. In this game, he showed he was one of England's best fielders. He took five catches and made a run-out. Since then, his fielding has been compared to the famous South African fielder, Jonty Rhodes.

He was dropped from the Test team for a while. But his all-round skills and great fielding made him a regular "12th Man" (a substitute player) on England's overseas Test tours.

He kept his place in England's one-day team in 2004, even with a knee injury. He scored an unbeaten 79 runs against India. England won that series 2–1. Collingwood was also England's second-highest run-scorer in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. He scored 141 runs, including an unbeaten 80. He played in all 11 ODIs against Zimbabwe and South Africa. In May 2005, he was named in England's squad for the NatWest Series and the first Twenty20 International.

Winning the Ashes in 2005

The England team celebrates their 2005 Ashes victory in Trafalgar Square

On 21 June 2005, Collingwood played for England against Bangladesh. He scored 112 runs without being out and then took six wickets for 31 runs. These were the best bowling figures ever by an Englishman in an ODI. He also became the first player to score a century and take six wickets in an ODI. This was better than the previous record held by Viv Richards. In the same series, he made an amazing catch to dismiss Matthew Hayden. This catch was called a "Classic catch" by BBC Sport.

Collingwood also played in England's first Twenty20 International match. He scored 49 runs and took two wickets. This helped England beat Australia by 100 runs. This win was a great start for England's journey to win the Ashes.

Collingwood was chosen for the Test squad for the Ashes series in 2005. He played in the Fifth Test when another player got injured. He only scored 7 and 10 runs in that match. But his defensive batting, along with Kevin Pietersen, helped England draw the match. This meant England won the series and took the Ashes for the first time since 1987!

In the 2006 New Year's Honours List, Collingwood received the MBE. This award was given to him and other England team members for their part in the Ashes victory.

Success in Pakistan and India

After the Ashes win in 2005, Collingwood went on tour with England to Pakistan and India in 2005–06. He played in the First Test against Pakistan in Multan. He scored only 13 runs and took no wickets. He was dropped for the Second Test. But he came back for the Third Test. He scored his first Test 50 and then another one. But England lost the match and the series 2–0. In the ODI series, he and his Durham teammates took most of England's wickets.

After playing in Pakistan, Collingwood joined the England team for the First Test against India in March 2006. He got in because other players were injured or sick. Collingwood proved his worth by scoring a magnificent 134 runs without being out. This was his first Test century. He became the first Durham player to score a Test century for England. After this, a newspaper called The Times joked, "MBE? Give this man a knighthood!"

Playing Against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2006

Collingwood kept his place for the first three Tests against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2006. He dropped two catches in the First Test at Lord's, which was unusual for him. But he scored an unbeaten half-century. In the Second Test, he made up for it by taking five catches. He also played a supporting role in batting to Kevin Pietersen's 142 runs. In the Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka, he took 4 wickets for 22 runs. This was the best bowling record in Twenty20 Internationals at the time.

He then scored his second Test century in the First Test against Pakistan later that summer. He scored 186 runs. This was England's highest score in the series.

Collingwood took his first Test wicket on 6 August 2006. He got Faisal Iqbal out for a golden duck. During this series, he also bowled some off-spin, which surprised many people. Later that summer, he played his 100th ODI game. He also reached 50 ODI wickets in the same match.

The Ashes 2006/07

Collingwood bowling in the nets at Adelaide Oval

After a good summer, Collingwood was chosen for the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and Ashes tour in late 2006. However, England lost two games badly to India and Australia. Some critics questioned where he was placed in the batting order.

In the First Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, England seemed to be heading for a draw. But Collingwood, who had scored 96 runs, was stumped out. This was a turning point. England then lost six more wickets quickly and lost the match. In the Second Test at Adelaide, Collingwood scored his highest Test score, 206 runs. He shared a huge 310-run partnership with Pietersen. He became only the eighth English player to score a double century against Australia in Ashes history. He was the first to do it in Australia since Wally Hammond in 1928–29.

England lost the Third and Fourth Tests as well. Collingwood scored only 60 runs in four innings. In the Fifth Test in January 2007, Australia's Shane Warne made fun of Collingwood's MBE award. Collingwood's performance in this Test was not great, and Australia won easily.

Even though England lost the series 5–0, Collingwood was ranked 14th in the world for Test batsmen.

The Commonwealth Bank One-Day International Series started badly for Collingwood and England. But he returned to score 106 runs and take two wickets in a key win against New Zealand. He then scored a century and the winning runs as England won the first of three finals against Australia. He became the eighth Englishman to score centuries in two ODI games in a row. His 120 runs (not out) was the highest ever by an English ODI player against Australia in Australia. He was named Man of the Match for three games in a row.

World Cup 2007

Collingwood and the English team felt confident after winning the tri-series. But their hopes were lowered after losing to New Zealand in the first group match. The team's vice-captain, Andrew Flintoff, was removed from his role due to bad behavior. This led to talk that Collingwood might become captain. But Michael Vaughan remained in charge.

The tournament was not very exciting for Collingwood or England. They were out of the competition after the Super Eight round. Collingwood scored low runs and had limited success with the ball. However, he ended up as the tournament's joint top fielder. He caught eight balls, the same as Graeme Smith. He also made an amazing catch to dismiss Devon Smith.

2007 Season

Collingwood and the team started their first home Test at Lord's very strongly against the West Indies. Collingwood scored 111 runs. He, along with four other English players, became the first group of five Englishmen to score centuries at Lord's in the same match. He then took his second Test wicket. He scored his second century of the series at Durham's home ground, the Chester-le-Street. He hit 128 runs.

After his good form in the Test series, Collingwood was named captain of the England team for the Twenty20 Internationals and One-Day International games against the West Indies. England drew the Twenty20 series. Collingwood scored 79 runs in one match. England then won the first ODI easily under Collingwood's captaincy. He then led the one-day team against India. They won the series 4–3.

Collingwood led the team to victory over Zimbabwe in the group stages of a tournament. But England then lost to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India. This meant they were out of the competition. During England's tour of Sri Lanka, Collingwood led the team to victory in the ODI Series. In the later Test series, he became the 709th Test wicket for Muttiah Muralitharan, who then became the highest Test wicket taker.

2008 Season

Collingwood had a good Test series in New Zealand in early 2008. He scored 244 runs in three matches, passing 50 runs three times. His ODI game was also successful. He scored 151 runs with two half-centuries. However, he had a less successful home series, scoring only 32 runs in three matches.

His home ODI series had some controversy. In one match, he appealed for a run-out after an opponent collided with another player and got injured. This caused criticism. He was also banned for four limited-overs international games because England, under his captaincy, bowled too slowly. Kevin Pietersen took over as captain.

Collingwood's poor form continued into the first Test against South Africa in July 2008. He scored only seven runs. He was left out of the next Test. But he was called back for the third Test. He scored a century, giving England a chance to win the series.

Soon after Michael Vaughan resigned as Test captain, Collingwood also stepped down as ODI captain. He said it was affecting his enjoyment of the game. He explained that the extra work was mentally tiring. He wanted to enjoy playing cricket, and he felt he couldn't if he continued as captain.

2009 Season

Collingwood plays during the first Test of the 2009 Ashes.

Collingwood filled in as England's wicket-keeper when Matt Prior was injured in May 2009. He enjoyed it and did well, even catching a ball from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Collingwood's performance in the 2009 World Twenty20 tournament was not great. He scored only 63 runs in five games. But his form in Test cricket was excellent. Before the 2009 Ashes, he had scored three centuries in his last twelve innings.

In the first Test of the 2009 Ashes in Cardiff, Collingwood scored 64 runs. England scored 435 runs. Australia then scored 674 runs. Collingwood took one wicket. England then struggled, losing five wickets for only 70 runs. But Collingwood stayed at the crease for almost the whole final day. He scored 74 runs from 245 balls. He was the ninth player out, but the last two players, James Anderson and Monty Panesar, managed to block out the remaining overs. This secured an unlikely draw for England.

In the second Test at Lord's, Collingwood scored 16 runs. England then bowled Australia out for 215 runs. In the second innings, Collingwood scored 54 runs. He helped Matt Prior and Andrew Flintoff score quickly. England won the match, and Collingwood took two good catches.

Collingwood warming up before England's ODI against Australia in 2010.

After Lord's, his batting form dropped. He struggled against Australia's bowlers. His scores were very low for the rest of the series. This brought his batting average for the series down to 27.78. His difficulties with batting also seemed to affect his catching. He dropped three catches in the final match. But he did take a sharp catch to dismiss Mitchell Johnson. England won the match by 197 runs, and the series 2–1.

In November 2009, Collingwood played against South Africa. He passed Alec Stewart's record of 170 ODIs. This made him England's most-played player in that format. He held this record until May 2019, when Eoin Morgan passed him.

Later Career and Retirement

In early 2010, Collingwood led the England Twenty20 team to win the 2010 World Twenty20 championship. He played in all seven games. He didn't score many runs, but his fielding was still excellent. He took four catches. His captaincy was highly praised. He led England to their first-ever ICC trophy, scoring the winning runs against Australia in the final.

Collingwood rested for the home Test series against Bangladesh. But he returned for the five-match ODI series against Australia in June. In the second match, he passed Alec Stewart's record again. This time, he became England's all-time leading run-scorer in ODI cricket. After poor batting in the 2010–11 Ashes series, he announced he was stopping Test cricket.

For his great performances in 2010, the ICC named him in the World ODI XI (a team of the best players).

In July 2014, he played for the Rest of the World team in a special match at Lord's. In August 2017, he was chosen for a World XI team. This team played three Twenty20 International matches against Pakistan in Lahore. Collingwood played in one of these matches.

Coaching Career

After stopping playing international cricket, Collingwood became a coach. He worked with the England and Scotland cricket teams. In November 2014, he agreed to join Scotland's coaching staff for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He then became the captain/assistant coach of Durham. He helped them win the 2013 LV County Championship and the 2014 Royal London One-Day Cup.

Collingwood was named a consultant for England's limited-overs teams in September 2015. He was also appointed as the fielding coach for the England cricket team. On 7 February 2022, it was announced that Collingwood would be the temporary head coach for the men's England cricket team for the upcoming Test series in the West Indies.

Awards and Achievements

Paul Collingwood was chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2007. This is a very important award in cricket. Wisden said he was a player who made the most of his skills and always wanted to get better.

Test Match Highlights

Scored over 1,000 Test runs in one year (2006).
Had a record partnership of 310 runs with Kevin Pietersen for England's fourth wicket against Australia in 2006.
Scored a double century (200+ runs) against Australia in 2007. He was only the third English batsman to do this in Australia since Wally Hammond in 1936.
Was the first Durham player to score a Test century for England. He was also the first to score one at Riverside Ground.

One-Day International Highlights

Had the best bowling figures in an ODI by an England player: 6 wickets for 31 runs against Bangladesh in 2005.
Had the best all-round performance in an ODI: 6 wickets for 31 runs and 112 runs (not out) against Bangladesh in 2005.

Twenty20 International Highlights

Was the first English cricket captain to lead a team to win a major ICC tournament.

Images for kids

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Collingwood's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Collingwood's One–day International batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).