Paul Collingwood hopeful of a big knock after valuable contribution in Adelaide win
England’s middle order batsman and captain of the T20 team, Paul Collingwood is hoping that his attacking 20 odd in the fourth ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 at the Adelaide Oval would spur him on to greater things in the remainder of the series, as he hopes to overcome a career threatening slump in form.
The all-rounder also contributed with the ball in England’s win, that kept alive the seven match contest. He cleaned up Australian captain with a beauty that seamed back sharply to crash into his stumps. However, it was his little cameo at the end of the innings that pleased him more; the tourists succeeded in taking their score to a formidable 299/8 in the allotted 50 overs, after Michael Yardy and Collingwood added valuable runs towards the end.
"It was a nice situation for me to come in, I had to be positive," he said. "It was just good to get past 20. I hadn't done it for a while. "I'm the first to admit that I haven't been in great form," he added. "I'm trying everything possible to get back into good nick. I'm really confident it is just around the corner."
Collingwood added that he needs to stay positive which is the only way he can have a turnaround as the game was more mental than physical. The Durham player decided to retire from test cricket after the POMS retained the Ashes, his test form was equally wretched which led to his decision.
He was selected in the English team for next month’s World Cup and many critics feel that he needs to turn a corner soon before the English team starts their campaign, in a tournament they are yet to win in 9 attempts.
"Things like that can click you back into form," he said. "The mental side of the game is huge. David Boon, when he was at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Durham-c782 back in 1998, he came out with a quote that international cricket is 90% mental and 10% technique and at the time I didn't understand what he meant by it. But the more I've played international cricket the more I understand that statement. Confidence is a huge factor, all the things that you take into your batting is very mental. Hopefully there will be less tension going out into the middle next time around and more confidence and that can do me the world of good."
Boon’s comment needs to be taken seriously by all international players, the same way as Collingwood did. The obvious reason for that is his success at the top of the Australian innings that led to the win in the 1987 World Cup for a struggling Aussie unit.
Although the Australians crashed in the following tournament that they hosted in 1992, Boon was one of the most prolific batsmen, scoring two hundreds in the competition.
England would be pinning their hopes on a seasoned campaigner like Collingwood when they start their campaign in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 in less than a month’s time. For the time being though Collingwood hopes to reach the magical 100 run mark or score big fifty in at least one of the three remaining games in Australia.
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