Collingwood, we salute you!

He jumped before he was pushed. That’s the crude assessment of Paul Collingwood’s retirement from Test cricket. With no score of significance (OK, with no score at all) in the five match Ashes series and with his fellow batsman all achieving a century at some point, Collingwood was the obvious blot on otherwise rosy picture. Yet, while a series average of less than twenty is no where near good enough, this should not blight the reputation of a true English Lion.

Born into a working-class family, Collingwood grew up in Shotley Bridge, a Durham village famous for sword making. A north eastern lad through and through, Collingwood is as tough as it gets. Never the most naturally gifted of players, his strong belief that you have to fight to get where you want to be and that your mark is made over the hard yards, has served him well. Playing for Durham and then finally getting his big break into the national side, during the 2005 Ashes, Collingwood never looked back. Since that memorable series, he has missed just three Tests. Something which reflects both his immense fitness and passion to serve his country. One of the best fielders in world cricket and a handy bowler too (his last Test wicket being that of Mike Hussey) Collingwood has been indispensable to the side. In fact, whenever England have been in a whole, Collingwood’s been the man they turn too. Dogged and determined, he is the arch battler. His most memorable innings have been when England’s backs were against the wall. Who can forget the 2009 Ashes series, were Collingwood batted for most of the final day of the first Test in order to ensure England secured a draw. A feat which was vital to England’s overall success and something he repeated less than six months later out in South Africa. Collingwood also has a double hundred against Australia. In fact, his batting average of 40.82, is nothing to scoff at. Being higher than both Michael Atherton and Nasser Husain.

Overall though, what England fans will miss most about Collingwood is his spirit. He’s been proud to wear the three lions and has always given it his all. An ordinary lad from Durham who achieved his dream of playing for England at the highest level. He said in a recent interview that he “wasn’t made for fairytales”, but that seems like a pretty good one to me.

Anyway, while he may have retired from Test cricket he’s still Twenty20 captain and a vital One Day International player. There’s still plenty of life in the boy from Shotley Bridge yet.