Former one-day skipper Paul Collingwood is happy to be returning to the England ranks as a foot soldier at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.
Former one-day skipper back after suspension
Paul Collingwood is happy to be returning to the England ranks in Tuesday's day-night NatWest Series match against South Africa at Trent Bridge.
Collingwood has now completed a four-match ban for presiding over a slow over-rate against New Zealand earlier in the summer, but in the intervening period Kevin Pietersen has succeeded him as one-day captain.
The Durham all-rounder gave up the job after the third Test defeat to South Africa at Edgbaston at the start of August, the news emerging on the same day that Michael Vaughan quit as Test skipper.
That double resignation opened the door for Pietersen to take charge of England in all formats - the South Africa-born batsman's reign has started on a positive note with victories in the fourth Test at the Oval and the NatWest Series-opener at Headingley last Friday.
Collingwood admitted the demands of combining his all-action style with leading side had proved too much.
Opportunity
"I'm back in the ranks and now and very much looking forward to it," he told
Sky Sports News.
"It's nice coming back into the ranks with the opportunity just to concentrate on your own job.
"I know that sounds selfish; but I can be a leader in the ranks anyway by setting the example.
"I found the added responsibility of captaincy very draining. I was always thinking about decisions and game situations.
"It was taking my form away in Test cricket and that was the last thing I wanted."
Collingwood firmly rejected any notion that his decision to give up the captaincy was a case of jumping before being pushed.
Coincidence
The 32-year-old confirmed the timing, on the same day as Vaughan, was not prompted by any desire from above to have one man in charge for all formats.
"It was pure coincidence that we both went at the same time (although) it's ideal that one captain can come in for both forms of the game," he said.
On the successful start to Pietersen's captaincy, he added: "He's had a fantastic start. He'll learn all the time, there will be difficult times ahead, but hopefully not for a while."
Collingwood will slot in at number six in England's batting order in Nottingham, replacing either Ravi Bopara or Luke Wright in the starting line-up - a decision that is being left until Tuesday.
England, however, must do without seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom, who has been
ruled out for the entire five-match NatWest Series due to injury.
