Collingwood raring to go
England batsman Paul Collingwood cannot wait to return to international action in the first npower Test against New Zealand next week and is unconcerned by recent disappointing form with the bat.
Collingwood hopes to be named in England’s squad on Sunday for the first match of a three-Test series against the Black Caps at Lord’s.
The Durham star has scored just 32 in five innings in all forms of cricket so far this season and was on the losing side as Lancashire recorded a 232-run victory in the LV County Championship at Old Trafford on Friday.
Nevertheless, Collingwood’s most redeeming quality as an international batsman is an ability to tough things out in difficult times and he said: “I feel rested now, a four-week break is quite a good one.
“It’s amazing after having two or three weeks off you’re dying to get back into it, which is probably because we haven’t had many breaks in the last two-and-a-half years. “I’ve had a good time away, relaxed and recharged the batteries.
“I’m excited, I’ve been looking forward to getting back into the nets and working on the game again and that’s what you want when you’re in that kind of work mode.
“It’s a bonus if you can come out and score hundred after hundred every innings.
“Realistically it’s not going to work that way and you come up against difficult conditions.
“Runs would be good to get that confidence going but I’ll back myself to go out there and score out in the middle when the time comes.
“I am sure that everybody has got me down as the first one off the team sheet but I am a battler.
“It is disappointing not to score runs but the big ones could be just around the corner.”
Collingwood appeared unconcerned despite having an injection in a shoulder injury after the championship defeat.
Durham director of cricket Geoff Cook is confident the injury will not prove serious and believes at this stage England have little to worry about.
“I don’t think there is any fear of him missing any cricket,” said Cook.
Paul Collingwood is aiming to improve his batting form in the first Test at Lord's next week
