Collingwood: The worst year of my career

Paul Collingwood has had a thoroughly forgettable 2008 so far

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Monday, 28, Jul 2008 09:51

England one-day captain Paul Collingwood has described 2008 as "the worst year of his career".

The Durham all-rounder was dropped from the Test side for the ten-wicket defeat to South Africa at Headingley last week, which he said was "the biggest disappointment", after a poor run of form.

Collingwood was also handed a four-match ban in limited-overs games because of the England one-day side's slow over-rate in the penultimate match of the series against New Zealand.

But the 31-year-old said he is hoping to bounce back in the second half of the summer season and recover some form - starting with a recall to the Test side for the third Test against the Proteas at Edgbaston.

"It's been a very difficult season for me but hopefully it will be a season of two halves and the better half starts now," he said.

"I just want this to be the spark, the catalyst, whatever word you want to choose, to get me going again.

"It's been the worst year of my career but once you have got over the hurt you look at it and realise that hope is just around the corner."

Collingwood also revealed he had feared for his career as an international cricketer when he was dropped in favour of Andrew Flintoff for the second Test earlier this month.

"I worried about what it meant for me when I was left out of Headingley," he continued.

"It was without doubt the biggest disappointment of my career.

"The only thing that comes close to it was when I was left out of the second Test in Pakistan and I worried whether I would ever make it as a Test player."

The team for the third Test against South Africa is set to be named on Wednesday morning ahead of the start of play at Edgbaston, with Collingwood and fellow Durham star Steve Harmison both vying for a place in the XI.