"I’m really proud I’ve been involved in the World XI tour" : Paul Collingwood

[MenInG]

"I’m just looking forward to playing three really competitive games of cricket" : Paul Collingwood

There are lots of reasons why I’m looking forward to playing in the World XI T20 tour of Lahore. Hopefully this can be a significant step in helping Pakistan host international fixtures again after eight years of playing in other countries, including their home series in the United Arab Emirates and England.

The tour has got the backing and support of all the Test playing nations, the professional players’ unions as well as the International Cricket Council, though the series is being considered as a bilateral series with the Pakistan Cricket Board as its host.

You can only imagine how demoralising it must have been for Pakistan’s players during the last few years and it’s an opportunity to show and prove that they can hold big fixtures in their own country once again.

Playing away from their home would have done nothing to help them improve their game in the long-term and it must have been so frustrating.

Despite that, I have to say I’m not surprised that they still topped the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings last year and won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, because when it comes to cricket, they’re a hugely-talented nation.

Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re going to get in terms of performance and that’s why they can be such a dangerous opposition. They always have players with potential and talent and, while it couldn’t have helped, it doesn’t seem to have harmed their development playing in Dubai.

Getting those home games again – although there is a little way to go – would be a big thing.

I’ve had a taste of it myself because I toured there with England just after The Ashes in 2005. It’s a very passionate place and the atmosphere in the grounds can be deafening, particularly in Karachi.

I’m sure that once we get out there, the locals will want Pakistan to win, but they will see the bigger picture and they will be behind us too.

If teams are going to tour there again, it’s important that their supporters are also going to be safe to travel there.

Time is limited and the security will be high, so unfortunately we won’t be able to do the tourist things I did when I went there 12 years ago and we understand that. We’ve got ‘Head of State’ security, which I’ve been involved with in India after the Mumbai attacks and also in Bangladesh last year.

I’m just looking forward to playing three really competitive games of cricket and for it to be as normal as possible.

Andy Flower first contacted me a couple of months ago to see if I would entertain the idea of touring Pakistan. From there, you have to ask the right questions to (Director of Security Management at the England and Wales Cricket Board) Reg Dickason because security is paramount.

After that it came down to the selection process. Andy would have have asked a lot of players if they were keen and, thankfully at 41, I’ve been able to make it, which is something I’m really proud of. At my age, to be able to play three T20 internationals in front of huge crowds is something you have to be interested in.

Trying to help Pakistan is important for cricket – and no-one can pretend the money isn’t great - but, added to that, playing them in their own back yard also really floated my boat.

I’ve not played international cricket since 2011, so to play in games with full international status against the full Pakistan side is very, very exciting and it’s great to be involved.

I heard Andy has said that there is a deeper meaning to the tour and I’m sure the reason why he is a key figure in this is that he can see a bigger message for world cricket.

For us, as players, we’re part of it too and we’re the people who want to go out there and perform. I’m sure Andy will see this as a huge step for cricket in Pakistan, particularly with his brother Grant having worked as their batting coach.

We’ll have three great matches and hopefully we will have helped in a small way.

 

[Abdullah719]

"Cricket in Pakistan is like a religion and the passion at the ground is special" : Paul Collingwood

Member of the World XI side Paul Collingwood on Tuesday said he’s proud to be part of this series.

At the end of the first match between his team and Pakistan, he shared his past experiences of playing against Pakistan.

“I am already proud to be part of this tour,” he said.

“Once I heard that three T20s are going to be held here and I was likely to be a part of it. It was a pretty easy decision to made,” he added.

He also praised the Lahore’s crowd, who, according to the former England captain, kept the intensity of competition very high till the end.

“The intensity was there, and although the crowd wasn’t at hundred per cent of the capacity the noise they made showed how they enjoyed seeing Pakistan playing at home after a long time,” he said.

“Last time I came to Pakistan I understood that cricket in Pakistan is like a religion and the passion and atmosphere at cricket ground here is really special, and tonight was a great start too,” he said.

Collingwood hoped that the World XI team will bounce back in the second match against Pakistan to level the series.

“It is not easy for a World XI team to gel so quickly, but we have learnt a lot from today’s game; hopefully, we’ll be back in the game tomorrow night,” he said.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/09/13/collingwood-says-proud-to-be-part-of-world-xi-tour/

 

[MenInG]

Although he did not play in the first Twenty20 International in Lahore on Tuesday (September 12), Paul Collingwood, the World XI veteran, shared every moment of the historic occasion which marked the return of big-time international cricket to Pakistan.

The allrounder, who can lay claim to Twenty20 greatness by virtue of being the only captain to lead England to an international trophy – the World T20 in 2010 — was in a jovial mood, replying to questions with wit to trigger laughter at the post-match press conference. He promised to share his experiences with some of his teammates to help bring more cricket to Pakistan.

“I am on Twitter. I am on Instagram, so I am already sharing a lot (of the feedback). At this moment of time, I am having a great time. The experience that I am having here is very positive because I can sense that everyone wants this to work and everybody wants this opportunity for these game to go unscarred and to be a real success and we all want that.

“So of course if everything goes well over the next four days, then I will go home and say that I had a great time.”

Just three months ago, Collingwood became the oldest player, at 41, to score a T20 century. To have come out of retirement and be part of this World XI tour is very exciting for the Durham legend.

“I am like a kid at Christmas, to be honest with you. I am 41 years old and to actually have the feeling of being in a Twenty20 International again is something I am very excited about.

“The last time I came to Pakistan, I understood that cricket in Pakistan is a religion. The passion and the atmosphere that you create in the ground is something special. I experienced that certainly in Karachi in 2005 and certainly tonight was a great start to, hopefully, a series that we can still win. So I am very much looking forward to playing in the game.”

Collingwood would have been initially reluctant to come, having retired and heard a lot about security problems in terror-hit Pakistan, but once he made up his mind, touring Pakistan was not a worry.

“I am very proud, I can tell you right now. I came out of the net session yesterday and it felt like I was playing international cricket again. That, to me, when I retired back in 2011 and to have that same feeling again, that anxiety and that intensity and all those things when you play for your country and they all come back again, so I am very excited about playing.

“Once I heard that there are three Twenty20 Internationals and there was a chance I could be a part of that, it was an easy decision to make.”

Collingwood had memories of lively crowds in Pakistan and on Tuesday, he said the fans matched that intensity — although it wasn’t a full house much to the disappointment of everyone — of the past when Pakistan was regularly hosting international matches.

“I think the intensity was there. Obviously, the crowd wasn’t 100% capacity but the noise they make, you can just sense in the ground that they were really enjoying Pakistan playing the game in their own country and you can sense something special. The way the World XI was received in the ground and on social media by a cricket-loving nation has been superb and to feel that atmosphere again… Hopefully this is a small stepping stone for future cricket in Pakistan.”

The 20-run loss, Collingwood stressed, would need a quick turnaround in this short three-match series.

“We will look for a quick turnaround. Obviously, 24 hours between games. We will learn from tonight’s game, the wicket and conditions and what kind of bowling especially works on this pitch so we will bring that tomorrow. As Tamim (Iqbal, his World XI teammate) said, we will try to stop the batsmen from scoring big totals.

“You know, when a World XI comes together, it takes some time to know each other and certainly Faf du Plessis (the captain) understands the players’ role in the team, what kind of tactics he is going to use when players are coming on to bowl. It’s not to going to gel immediately, so hopefully after today’s game we will take a little bit of information out of the game and we can use that in the next game to have a better performance.”

Recalling his memories of the 2005 tour with England, Collingwood said, “Don’t look at me like that! Don’t be so surprised, I scored runs here, I think I scored 90-odd (in the Lahore Test) against Shoaib Akhtar, a very quick bowler. I have got good memories from here, it was a shame I did not go on to get me a hundred.

“Danish Kaneria caught me out at fine-leg as I went for a hook shot. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t he could either, Danish Kaneria — incredible!”

The second match is on Wednesday, while the final encounter is slated for Friday — all in Lahore.


http://m.wisdenindia.com/full-story.php?category=Article&id=269040&

 

[hadi123]

 

[Firebreaker]

He took a great catch on the last ball of Pakistan inning

 

[PakLFC]

It is not as if we have any other Sport to be passionate about.

 

[Abdullah719]

Paul Collingwood 'like a kid at Christmas' as he returns to international cricket for World XI in Pakistan

Paul Collingwood says he feels like a “kid at Christmas” to be playing international cricket again and has praised the level of security for the World XI players on their brief trip to Pakistan.

The three match Twenty20 series ends in Lahore on Friday with a deciding game after the World XI beat Pakistan on Wednesday with Collingwood in the side.

Collingwood is the only English player in the World XI for a series that represents a major step on the road to international cricket returning to Pakistan.

The first two games have passed off peacefully and the International Cricket Council has said it will pay for security firms to protect touring sides over the next three years. In the event of teams refusing to play in Pakistan, the ICC will look into sending another World XI team.

“The security is on a different level to what I have seen before. It is good. I have really enjoyed it,” Collingwood told Telegraph Sport from the team hotel in Lahore. “I probably did not appreciate how much it meant to the country when I first signed up but I have seen it now. People are so grateful and thankful they have a team to play against in their own backyard.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BY59eCAFP9b/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I'm like a kid a Xmas again. Can't wait to play in an International T20 again in front of a passionate Pakistan crowd. Training tonight was like living the dream again so can't imagine what it's going to be like in the middle. Wasim Raja was our overseas pro @shotleycc when I was only a youngster and watching him taught me a lot about the game, very skilful! Hope you all enjoy the games, sorry but we'll be trying our hardest to win!#CricketKiHalalala #PakvWorldXI #WorldXI #cricket #tourlife #sport #fitfam #Lahore</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Paul Collingwood (@paulcollingwood5) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-11T15:23:32+00:00">Sep 11, 2017 at 8:23am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

“For me it was quite a selfish reason for coming. I felt the chance to be playing three Twenty20 internationals at the grand old age of 41 was really exciting and obviously the money was a huge factor. So from a personal point of view it was selfish but then you get here and you realise wow we are doing something good for Pakistan cricket and world cricket. We are part of something bigger.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board has described the series as an ‘ice breaking event’ after years in the wilderness following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009. A full Test tour is a long way off due to the logistics of providing security on such a high level for a long period of time, and Collingwood is doubtful England will be making the trip in the near future.

“The cost must be astronomical and then you have to think about supporters and all the security implications,” said Collingwood. “From my experience of being here for these four days it has been very positive. I feel ver,y very safe. You understand the importance of it but the cost would be so high if you had to sustain this for a long period of time.”

The first two matches were not sold out with the PCB admitting ticket prices were too steep and the hassle of negotiating such tight security put fans off going to the match, preferring instead to watch on television. But the final match today takes place at the start of the weekend and with the series 1-1, the PCB expects a sell out.

Collingwood is playing international cricket for the first time since the 2011 World Cup and next week will be back to the real world turning out for Durham at the Riverside in a championship match against Sussex.

“I was really nervous because you have doubts about it and don’t want to show yourself up at 41. But the training session we had before first game, facing the net bowlers, I had that feeling of playing international cricket back again. I was like a kid at Christmas just getting those emotions back. That is nothing against county cricket. It is just the intensity of international cricket is always like that. I have been smiling every minute. I am just enjoying it so much to be involved in international team again.

“I have heard stories of people flying from America to watch the game and it will be something special. It feels huge. Everybody is talking about it and wants to be at the game on Friday night. It is going to be massive. I would love to play in the decider but I understand it is a good line up here and if I don’t make it I have had a wonderful time.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/...-kid-christmas-returns-international-cricket/

 

[Abdullah719]

Paul Collingwood, ex-England cricket captain, backs more tours to Pakistan

Paul Collingwood believes other sides should consider touring Pakistan again after the recent Twenty20 series involving a World XI passed without incident.

Several teams have refused to visit the country amid security concerns since the Sri Lanka bus was attacked by gunmen in March 2009.

Former England all-rounder Collingwood, who made more than 300 international appearances during his career, was part of a squad that played three matches in Lahore earlier this month, with the home side prevailing 2-1.

The World players were heavily guarded throughout their stay, and Collingwood sees no reason why other nations should not follow suit, providing that similar safety measures can be guaranteed.

Pakistan have been forced to play their home matches in the United Arab Emirates, but it was announced last month that both Sri Lanka and West Indies would arrive for tours later this year, in the event of the World series going ahead undisrupted.

“We were there five days and if you had that level of security for a longer tour, I can’t imagine how much it would cost,” Collingwood told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It was like having the army around you at all times, which was excellent because we knew we were safe, [but] the disruption it must cause to every day living, because they literally closed all the roads to get to the ground.

“If you can sustain that level of security for a longer period of time, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t tour there.”

Collingwood admitted to having doubts before taking the trip, but said the response received from the Pakistan players and supporters made it more than a worthwhile exercise.

“I was a bit sceptical when I first signed up, and I haven’t had a great time with Pakistan cricket in the past in terms of [Mohammad] Amir and no-balls [in 2010], the ball tampering [allegations in 2006] etc so I was thinking ‘do I want to support that’ but after the week I’ve had I’m really proud I’ve been involved,” he said.

“There’s a bigger picture and to see the Pakistan players’ faces to play in front of their home crowd, to get their feelings and how much it meant to them, they were saying ‘thank you, it means so much to us’.

“You feel as though you’ve done something good for the game. I probably didn’t realise the impact it had. We’re a cricketing family and you have to help each other out.

“It’s a small stepping stone, we know it’s not the final piece of the jigsaw, and Pakistan cricket know that but they’re trying their hardest to get things happening again.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...to-pakistan/story-nyl6u0gzi8q9IbpI0ono6I.html

 

[MenInG]

The World XI tour to Pakistan is over and I believe we have done what we set out to achieve. We have managed a significant step towards taking big-ticket international cricket back there after an eight-year absence.

Right from the start, when the lads met up in Dubai, we sensed we were doing something special and a bit out of the ordinary. We got together with coach Andy Flower and also had a security meeting that really opened our minds.

We arrived in Pakistan on Sunday night and within 10 minutes were in the hotel! It was so efficient and the extent of the security was incredible. There were two helicopters on each journey, ready to take us away if there were to be any kind of emergency, and the length of our convoy any time we went anywhere was amazing.

In the hotel, it was selfie after selfie and people were constantly thanking us for being there. Social media was going crazy with them just loving us being in their country.

The togetherness amongst the group was pretty immediate. Guys are used to it with all of the T20 leagues around the world. We’d socialise together in the evenings and everyone gelled really quickly.

It was an amazing welcome from the Pakistan fans as we were taken around the ground in rickshaws

Faf du Plessis has a natural way of getting the guys together and Grant Elliott is a bit of a character and we had good fun. It was a mixture of us being relaxed, being desperate to win but also seeing the bigger picture for Pakistan.

On Monday, we had a training session and I was like a kid at Christmas. Cricket was the reason we were there and to face the local net bowlers again – really quick lads – brought everything about international cricket back for me and I loved having that preparation time with so much intensity.

I was told I wouldn’t be playing the first game and it was obviously disappointing to lose but it was a great occasion in Lahore. We were taken around the ground in rickshaws and it was an amazing welcome from all of the Pakistan fans. It was almost like they weren’t even bothered who won because they were so happy to have the matches on.

You also got the feeling that the players were really grateful we’d made the trip over and they were buzzing because they were playing in front of their family and friends.

The second game was incredible. I was told in the afternoon I was playing and, to be honest, there were a lot of nerves around, because at 41, I didn’t want to make an idiot of myself!

It all came flooding back, that intensity, playing in a vital game, the atmosphere, the crowds… it was sensational. I was running around in the field like an 18-year-old and it was my first time in the outer ring for about 10 years!

It was nice to get a good catch off the last ball of the innings and Perera got us over the line to make it 1-1 going into the deciding game. I started at six but went down the slippery pole to eight and didn’t get to bat.

I was running around in the field like an 18-year-old and it was my first time in the outer ring for about 10 years!

In the final game, we went for a powerful batting line-up and it was disappointing not to play well enough and to lose the series 2-1 but, again, it’s more about the bigger picture with all of the lads getting a game. I’d say the turn-out from the fans, as good as it was in the first match, got bigger as the week went on and the atmosphere in Lahore really was something special.

It was a week I’ll never forget. Reflecting on it now, it was a short tour – only five days - and the boys felt very safe and relaxed but it’s the start of a process.

They’re talking about some Windies’ T20 games in the country and the Pakistan Super League is trying to get more matches there. It’s just about continuing to test the water with it but everyone would have seen the calibre of players who went over to Pakistan and played in a great series.

To maintain that security for a longer period would be very expensive and you also have to consider fans of touring teams but it’s a starting point.

From my point of view, I’ve been part of one or two run-ins with Pakistan players over the years so it was nice to build relationships with them over the course of the week and to feel how much they appreciated us being there. We probably didn’t quite realise the impact it would have on them and that’s something else that I’ll take away from it.

I think we did the job we went there for and the whole experience was nothing but positive.

As I say, it’s a small first step but hopefully we’ve made a difference and when we finally have international cricket back in Pakistan, all of us will be proud to have been part of the revival process.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/476179

 

[hadi123]

Great respect to Collingwood. He was the man that led England to their only major tournament victory but I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves for that

 

[Markhor]

Great respect to Collingwood. He was the man that led England to their only major tournament victory but I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves for that

Very underrated player.

Tremendously hard working and fit, unbelievable that he's still playing for Durham, remaining loyal even after ECB enforced relegation.

Still one of the best performers on the county circuit !