'I don't feel I have anything to prove to anyone'
Paul Collingwood looks to fight his way back into the limited-overs sides, but isn't bitter about the decision to sack him as Twenty20 captain

"I've turned 35, so age might not be on my side, but my fitness is good, and I still feel I've something to offer the team" • AFP
Oh, no. It's been a fantastic year, really. We won the World Twenty20 and then we retained the Ashes in Australia. How could that be anything less than fantastic? Sure, I was disappointed to lose the Twenty20 captaincy, but on the whole it was a brilliant year. You have to retire some time. And what better way to go out than after a full ground at Sydney after just winning the Ashes? I wouldn't describe that as the worst of times at all.
I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a tinge of sadness when I think about that. I am very aware that my primary role is to score runs and I didn't do that. But hopefully I contributed in other ways, and having experienced an Ashes series where I did well and the team did badly, I know I'd much rather have it the other way round. I made a mistake at the start of the tour. I remember saying to the media that in 2006-07 I'd scored heavily but we'd been beaten, and that this time I'd settle for winning the series but me not scoring a run. And that's pretty much how it turned out.
It was agony. Yeah, agony. I was thinking about it 24 hours a day. Of course I was. My job was to score runs and I wasn't doing that. I knew full well that I wasn't contributing as much as I wanted to the team, and I knew that my livelihood was at stake. That's a horrible feeling, I can tell you.
It's funny: all international sport is probably 90% mental and 10% technical. But as soon as anything goes wrong, we always go looking in search of something technical, don't we?
Yes, that's true. It's meant I've spent more time at home focusing on everyday things, like family life. That really helps you keep things in perspective. I've not been working away in the nets and worrying about which way the ball is nipping around, and as a result I'm feeling more refreshed than I have done for… well, years. I'm 100% fit, physically and mentally. I'm probably better than I've been in a long time. I'm chuffed to bits to be back playing again. I'm as enthusiastic as I've ever been and the way I'm hitting the ball in the nets is… well, it feels amazing. It's all very positive.
They did. They really did. I'd actually say the team - and the team management - went through it all with me. It can be difficult if you're in that position. You sometimes don't know what to say to someone when they're struggling. But they backed me 100%. I couldn't have asked for more.
It was a huge shock. I really didn't have an inkling it was going to happen. Quite the opposite, really. After giving up Test cricket, I was really looking forward to focusing on the shorter formats. I was excited by the prospect of being able to devote all my energy to doing the job.
"One of my first sketches was of Richard Hadlee appealing. Then, a few years ago, I did one of Dean Jones. I did try and draw Straussy too, but it was rubbish. But I quite like portraiture, so maybe that's something I'll look at in the future "
Geoff Miller told me. I was working in London, doing some IPL commentary for ITV4, and he came to see me. Look, it wasn't a nice thing to happen to me, but I understand that the England team have to move forward, and that they took a decision - a strong decision - in the best interests of the England team.
Ha! No, no. That's not really how the conversation went. At that time I was hugely shocked, and it's fair to say I didn't think about anything other than the captaincy. Nothing else mattered at the time and… well, let's just say that I was shocked and disappointed. The captaincy was all we talked about.
Everything goes through your head. All the options. But when I retired from Test cricket, I just knew it was the right time. I haven't felt that way about limited-overs cricket. Okay, I've turned 35, so age might not be on my side, but my fitness is good, and I still feel I've something to offer the team. I'm hoping I can fight my way back into things in the next few weeks. I have to score heavily. The next few weeks are huge for me.
In the first instance, I was sharing the captaincy with Michael Vaughan and Peter Moores was coach. Vaughany was Test captain and I was ODI and Twenty20 captain. I found that very taxing. I was playing all three forms of the game and captaining in two of them. That really took it out of me. It was damaging my form, and I knew I was in danger of losing my place in the Test side. That was massive for me. My ambition had always been to play for England, and that was slipping away from me. I hadn't ever really had any ambitions about captaincy, but that's what was soaking up all my energy.
Well, I'm told the door is open for me in one-day and Twenty20 cricket, so no, not really. And it's not as if they [the selectors] don't know what I can do. I've played for England for 10 years, so they know what I bring to the team and what I have to offer. But look, I don't feel I have anything to prove to anyone. If I get picked, then great. If not, I'm happy with what I've contributed and I'll walk away with my head held high.
It's too early to say. It really is. These are a big few weeks for me. My aim is to score heavily and force my way back into the England limited-overs team.
Again, it's too early to say. There are too many other things to resolve first. All I would say is that I imagine captaining a county side must be very, very tough. To do that for six months… well, it looks very hard.
Hugely. He's an incredible talent. He's already an incredible player. He hits the ball with massive power, but he does it so naturally, and it's the same with his fielding; he does it brilliantly, but he does it his own way. It's really great to see a natural athlete play cricket the way he does.
I definitely want to remain in the game. I feel I've picked up a huge amount of knowledge over the years, and I'd like to send that on to the next generation. I enjoy working with other players, and it's great when you see someone improve. It seems crazy to work on a skill all your life and then just stop without passing on what you've learnt.
I don't think that's the case at all. Actually, I think it might be the other way around.
Absolutely. To be honest, if you'd told me in 2001, when I made my international debut, that I'd play 300 times for England, then I'd have laughed at you. If I play again, I'll just consider it a bonus.
This interview was first published in Spin Cricket Monthly. Paul Collingwood is an ambassador for SKINS