England WT20 Winning Captain Paul Collingwood Ends Playing Career at 42

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: September 13, 2018, 1:53 PM IST

England's WT20 winning captain and Durham great Paul Collingwood has announced that he is going to call time on his career, spanning over two decades, at the end of the current season.

“After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to announce my retirement from cricket at the end of the current season,” Collingwood said in a statement.

“I knew this day would eventually come but it hasn’t made it any easier - although it’s an emotional decision, I know that the time is right and I’m comfortable knowing that I have given every last ounce of energy to the sport.

“I have achieved so much with both Durham and England, far more than I ever imagined, and I feel extremely privileged to have had such a long and rewarding career.

“It has been an honour to represent Durham County Cricket Club for the last 23 years and I would like to thank the staff, coaches, teammates and members for their tremendous support and for making my career so enjoyable.
“I am excited about what the future holds for me and am looking forward to new challenges.”

The most successful cricketer to ever play for Durham, Collingwood has been part of the club in 23 of their 26 years in professional cricket and has amassed 304 first-class appearances, 16,844 runs and 164 wickets.

The 42-year-old all-rounder was the first skipper to lead England to a global title when he was the captain in the 2010 ICC World T20. England beat Australia by seven wickets and three overs to spare in the final of the tournament at Bridgetown.

Collingwood, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2003, played 68 matches with the last being the Ashes series in 2011 in Australia.

Collingwood has been part of three Ashes-winning teams and was one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 2007. The all-rounder also played 197 ODIs and 36 Twenty20 Internationals for England.

Collingwood played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals. He also played and coached in the Australian Big Bash with Perth Scorchers.

Collingwood made his first-class debut in 1996 with Durham and won the County Championship in 2013 and the One-Day Cup a year later. His final match will be at home against Middlesex which begins on September 24.