Colly loses three fans

Paul Collingwood’s poor form in recent times has seen his support-base dwindle, but surely he at least deserves the support of his family. His three daughters, though, turned their back on him for England’s must-win match against West Indies in Chennai. “We hope you lose tomorrow, daddy,” they told him via Skype the day before the match. It wasn’t that they had fallen for the laidback charm of Chris Gayle and his team-mates. They just wanted their daddy to “come back home.” Collingwood, along with the rest of England’s cricketers, has found himself entangled in a ceaseless schedule that saw him spend less than ten days at home between returning from Australia and travelling to the subcontinent for the World Cup.

"That was quite tough and I had to think quickly," Collingwood told the Daily Mail website. “I told them, 'Yes, but if we win, daddy will get a few more pennies to buy you more Barbie dolls'. That seemed to do the trick. 'OK, I hope you win now', said Shannon.” The only worry is Collingwood may have used up his excuse for abandoning home once again to come play the IPL, which starts six days after the World Cup.