Collingwood out for four ODIs

Paul Collingwood has been banned for four one-dayers

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One-day captain Paul Collingwood has been banned for four limited-overs internationals for England’s slow over-rate in the defeat to New Zealand yesterday.

Collingwood, 32, will miss Saturday’s NatWest Series finale against the Kiwis at Lord’s, a one-day international against Scotland on August 18, a Twenty20 international against South Africa and one ODI against South Africa.

He was found guilty of a level three offence in the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct by match referee Javagal Srinath last night.

Flanked by coach Peter Moores and operations manager Phil Neale at an after-match hearing, Collingwood faced a minimum ban of four limited-overs matches or two Test matches - or a combination of both. The severity was such because this is Collingwood’s second such offence within a 12-month period.

He was fined 50 per cent of his match fee following the match against India in Bristol last August.

As on that occasion, England were three overs down when their time allotment for bowling their 50 overs elapsed.

Former India pace bowler Srinath delivered his verdict at 1.35pm this afternoon.

In addition to Collingwood’s spell on the sidelines, England’s other 10 players will be fined 15 per cent of their match fee.

Srinath explained the decision to impose the ban on Collingwood, highlighting the importance of a tightly-enforced playing schedule.

“There is always a scheduled finish time and it is always very clear to the management teams, the match officials and the captain,” he said.

“That’s a good practice always, people (spectators) are waiting so the game has to finish on time.

“If they tell us a proper reason for a delay, we will listen. But if there is slow movement of the players on the field, we have to act.”