London: Durham captain and former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood has decided to retire from all forms of the game ending his 23-year-old professional career at the end of the season.
“After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to announce my retirement from cricket at the end of the current season,” Collingwood said Thursday.
“I knew this day would eventually come but it hasn’t made it any easier – although it’s an emotional decision, I know that the time is right and I’m comfortable knowing that I have given every last ounce of energy to the sport.”
“I have achieved so much with both Durham and England; far more than I ever imagined and I feel extremely privileged to have had such a long and rewarding career,” he added.
The 42-year-old, who has been described by Durham as their ‘greatest ever run scorer and most illustrious player” will bring the curtain down in the club’s final County Championship fixture of the season against Middlesex later this month.
Collingwood amassed 16,891 runs and 164 wickets in 304 first-class appearances and helped Durham to County Championship glory in 2008, 2009 and 2013.
Collingwood also thanked his club saying: “It has been an honour to represent Durham County Cricket Club for the last 23 years and I would like to thank the staff, coaches, team mates and members for their tremendous support and for making my career so enjoyable. I am excited about what future holds for me and am looking forward to new challenges.”
