Paul Collingwood Retires from Professional Cricket

England veteran player Paul Collingwood has announced his retirement from professional cricket. Collingwood will play his swansong for his County Durham when they will take on Middlesex at Emirates Riverside which commences on 24 September, Monday. Paul Collingwood has been a vanguard for his County side as he has played for almost 23 years. The right-hander made 304 first-class appearances and made 16,844 runs.

Furthermore, Collingwood also chipped in with the ball as he scalped 164 wickets. Moreover, it is well known that Paul was a live wire on the field. In fact, he had taken some of the best catches in the game.

Paul Collingwood said he took the hard decision after a lot of thought. However, he knew that this day was not far away.

“After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to announce my retirement from cricket at the end of the current season,” Collingwood said as quoted by Durham website.

“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.

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“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.

Collingwood gave his gratitude to all the players as well as the coaches. The right-hander said he was privileged to play for Durham for such a long time.

“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.”

Paul Collingwood led England to glory in World T20 in 2010 when they beat Australia in the final. Meanwhile, Collingwood made his debut for England in 2001 against Pakistan. He made his Test debut two years later in 2003 against Sri Lanka.

The right-hander scored 5092 runs in 197 One Day Matches whereas 4259 runs in 68 Test matches. The medium pacer scalped 111 wickets in the 50-overs format.