Former England captain Paul Collingwood’s long-running love affair with Durham will be extended to 22 years after he signed a one-year extension to his present contract yesterday.
The 40-year-old all-rounder — skipper when England won the world Twenty20 in 2010 and who played 68 Tests for England, including three Ashes series winning sides — captained Durham to the 2013 County Championship title.
“I am so proud to still be playing for my home county, who have given me the perfect environment to fulfil all of my cricketing dreams,” said Collingwood, who also fell just three short of a double century of one-day international appearances.
“I feel that I can continue to contribute to the team and I really want to help develop the next generation of Durham cricketers.I know that this club still has so much to offer English cricket and I continue to be excited by the young talent coming through the ranks,” added Collingwood.
David Harker, Durham chief executive, said he was delighted to have persuaded the talismanic player to carry on.
“To keep a player of Paul’s experience and ability at the club is a massive bonus as we start to look towards our plans for 2017,” said Harker.
“He continues to epitomise the values of Durham CCC, both on and off the field, as well as still being a fine player who leads from the front in the role of club captain.”