We’re republishing one of the best of DailyMail+ Sport from 2025 – the unique, in-depth tales that our subscribers love. Right here, we take a look at the curious disappearance of England coach Paul Collingwood, what’s behind it and the way it’s harm the nationwide group.
The Australians had been very up entrance concerning the host of star gamers lacking from their Ashes squads, however the thriller surrounding a big 49-year-old England absentee reveals no signal of being solved.
Assistant coach Paul Collingwood was not a part of the backroom group for the ill-fated collection Down Beneath, within the subsequent few weeks. That may imply his absence from the England teaching group – from which he disappeared ‘for private causes’ on the primary day of the one-off Take a look at towards Zimbabwe in Nottingham – extending to past a 12 months by subsequent summer time.
When members of the legendary 2005 Ashes squad received collectively this summer time to reminisce, be interviewed and photographed 20 years on, Collingwood was conspicuous by his absence. His final public media look was 10 months in the past throughout England’s third Take a look at in Hamilton, New Zealand when, like different assistant coaches, he was requested to reply for some poor performances.
Collingwood declared Ben Stokes was so match that he may bowl ‘as many overs as he feels he must’. Stokes left the sector, distraught and in ache, with a hamstring challenge the next day. Collingwood mentioned that the group, 2-0 up within the collection, had been motivated to file a 3-0 whitewash. They misplaced the third Take a look at by 423 runs.
Shane Warne would have had some enjoyable with that. Simply as he did when Collingwood obtained an MBE for being a member of the 2005 Ashes squad, after coming in for the ultimate Take a look at and blocking for a draw to assist England win the collection. Warne noticed that an MBE for scoring 17 throughout each innings of 1 Take a look at of a complete collection ought to stand for: ‘Should Be Embarrassing’.
However the sudden absence of Collingwood is curious. He was the primary England captain to win a World Cup – the Twenty20 model within the Caribbean in 2010 – in addition to a member of victorious England Ashes squads in 2009 and 2011.
Paul Collingwood has been absent from England’s teaching group – from which he disappeared ‘for private causes’ – for the reason that first day of Could’s Zimbabwe Take a look at in Nottingham
Collingwood’s final public media look got here throughout England’s Third Take a look at in Hamilton, New Zealand, final December
Inside 56 days of him being appointed short-term head coach for a collection in West Indies, photographs emerged of him kissing a lady within the sea on a Barbados seaside
That enjoying pedigree created the prospect of him turning into England coach early in 2022, when he was appointed to the place on an interim foundation after a 4-0 Ashes collection humbling in Australia introduced Chris Silverwood’s departure.
However in what has change into a definite sample, Collingwood’s nocturnal habits have made him a legal responsibility. Inside 56 days of him being appointed short-term head coach for a collection in West Indies, photographs emerged of him kissing a lady within the sea on a Barbados seaside. His England aspect had simply misplaced by 10 wickets within the decisive third Take a look at.
Neither did main by instance off the sector appear to come back naturally as a participant. Little greater than 24 hours earlier than captaining England to defeat in a 2007 T20 World Cup match towards hosts South Africa, during which he was dismissed for a golden duck, Collingwood was pictured in a Cape City strip membership referred to as Mavericks.
Collingwood, who had married his then-wife, Vicky, in Cape City two years earlier, mentioned: ‘I used to be taken to an inappropriate bar and after I realised that, I received out of there.’
In mitigation, he mentioned he had been on the golf course at 7.30am the morning after his go to to the membership, which employed 100 lap dancers largely from Russia and jap Europe, and supplied a non-public room for ‘extra unique performances’.
‘In as we speak’s setting that was unacceptable and I maintain my arms as much as that,’ Collingwood declared.
He was fined £1,000 and nothing extra was mentioned, as he turned England’s part-time fielding coach whereas nonetheless a participant, then a everlasting a part of the teaching setup after his worldwide retirement, aged 34.
The embarrassing episodes have been considered as nothing greater than ‘Colly being Colly’, and one thing to have a good time.
The previous all-rounder can also be a three-time Ashes winner and was a key member of the aspect that gained Down Beneath in 2010-2011
Collingwood (far left) performed the ultimate Take a look at in 2005 as England sealed the Ashes however was mocked by Shane Warne for his restricted enter
Collingwood was conspicuous by his absence when Michael Vaughan (left) posted an image of a 2005 Ashes reunion this summer time
Graeme Swann was beside himself with mirth in April 2023 when on an episode of the Rig Biz podcast he described being launched to a current audio tape of Collingwood in a room with a number of girls throughout two hours of sexual antics. It’s unclear whether or not the episode occurred throughout an England tour, although Swann mentioned Collingwood was ‘a superb lad and a terrific vacationer’.
Swann associated how he had been socialising with Brett Lee, Chris Gayle and Scott Styris once they informed him concerning the ‘Paul Collingwood voice be aware’ and that ‘the second it began I’m like, “I do know the place that is going. I can simply predict the place”.’
Swann informed the podcasters for his or her banterish present: ‘Paul is pushed! He’s not too long ago divorced and he’s very pushed. He’s a single man nowadays, so let’s face it, it seemed like he had a terrific evening with the women.’ Nicely, at the very least Warne would have authorised of this.
Collingwood’s ex-wife, Vicky – an HR administrator, with whom he has three daughters – solely appeared within the public eye when the couple misplaced £300,000 by investing greater than £650,000 with a Derbyshire ‘adviser-to-the-stars’.
In 2013, the Collingwoods pursued Roderick Langham, whose Cheshire firm put the money into ‘excessive danger and unregulated collective funding’ funds, by the courts. However he and others who pursued Langham, together with James Anderson and several other footballers, had been informed to settle out of court docket as there was not sufficient cash to pay all of them again.
In his enjoying pomp Collingwood earned a six-figure central contract wage from the ECB and was paid tens of hundreds merely for giving Yahoo! 4 sq. inches of promoting house on the again of his bat. He earned £60,000 from a season within the IPL with Delhi Daredevils regardless of barely enjoying. One-off bonuses included £30,000 for successful the 2005 Ashes.
Collingwood appeared made for all times. He owned a six-bedroom indifferent home with views throughout sweeping Northumbrian countryside within the tiny hamlet of Hindley. He owned, and let, a smaller place throughout the street. He spent £50,000 to hitch Loch Lomond Golf Membership. Garments and golf have been his responsible pleasures, he has at all times appreciated to say.
His funding of a number of thousand kilos in an organization referred to as Portal Media, whose plan was to construct kiosks nationwide permitting prospects to obtain information on to flash reminiscence playing cards, didn’t appear to concern him, regardless of listening to nothing extra of them. The agency not seems to exist.
Collingwood celebrates successful the Ashes Down Beneath with the Barmy Military in 2011
Collingwood is near the England head coach Brendon McCullum
However the taxman actually has been concerned about Collingwood’s earnings. In 2008, HMRC opened an investigation into him assigning his sponsorship rights to a ‘private companies’ agency referred to as ‘PDC rights’ – his initials – during which he was the only real shareholder, thus limiting the tax he paid.
Although HMRC closed the case the next 12 months, it was revealed this month {that a} additional Income investigation into his use of the identical ‘private companies firm’ to scale back his sponsorship revenue tax had resulted in him being hit with a £196,000 tax demand.
Collingwood is being pressured to pay this, having misplaced an attraction. It’s thought that he was coping with tax points in London when absent from this summer time’s Zimbabwe Take a look at.
Funds he has obtained from sponsorship contracts with Slazenger, the Skilled Cricketers’ Affiliation ambassador programme and Clydesdale Financial institution should now be handled as self-employment revenue.
Collingwood mentioned in a single interview whereas nonetheless enjoying that he didn’t like the thought of an impending 50 per cent revenue tax band. ‘The 50 per cent price of tax will have an effect on me and might be obligatory, however I’ve requested my accountant to look into it,’ he mentioned. However the lack of the HMRC case will hit him tougher.
Within the Brendon McCullum/Ben Stokes England setup, he has added attribute juice to the group scene after hours, in addition to batting and fielding recommendation. He’s made himself near the pair, simply as he did Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff in his England enjoying days.
Michael Vaughan recalled Collingwood remarking that ‘this ingesting group has received a cricket downside’ after England misplaced a one-day collection in New Zealand in 2007-08. His horrible banter and tendency to finish up being the butt of the jokes have contributed to his recognition.
England successful the T20 World Cup introduced a go to to Downing Avenue, the place the then Prime Minister David Cameron declared he was ‘proud to face right here with Colin Collingwood and all his boys’.
Captain Collingwood leads the celebrations after England defeated Australia within the last of the Twenty20 World Cup in Bridgetown in 2010. It led to an eventful journey to Downing Avenue
Neither the ECB nor Collingwood have been ready to explain the coach’s absence from the England setup
Collingwood tried to reply by getting the PM’s personal identify flawed however appeared unaware of what it really was. He retorted: ‘Colin? Oh that’s okay David.’ His error was identified to him, to common amusement.
McCullum has batting and spin coaches Marcus Trescothick and Jeetan Patel with him in Australia. He’s additionally accustomed to having short-term, ‘freelance’ coaches within the setup; fast-bowling specialist Tim Southee – with the group for the approaching New Zealand white-ball tour – shaped a part of the Ashes occasion for the primary Take a look at however not the entire tour since he has a franchise enjoying dedication within the new 12 months.
The ECB indicated that the England teaching setup ‘can fluctuate on occasion’ over an extended winter and that ‘one or two positions on that help group had been being finalised’, forward of an announcement within the subsequent few weeks.
Neither they nor Collingwood have been in a position to give any rationalization for his absence and it could be unfair to take a position what it may conceivably be. However the one-time Ashes hero and World Cup-winning coach is presently something however expansive about all this, having – in the intervening time at the very least – vanished with out hint.
