Former cricketer Paul Collingwood, who is part of England’s touring party as their fielding coach in Australia for the upcoming Ashes 2017-18 series, put on a England shirt once again and stepped out on to the field during the team’s warm-up match against Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide on Thursday.
Collingwood took the field after Jake Ball injured his ankle. The former England all-rounder, who retired from Test cricket in the 2010-11 season, entered the field as a substitute, borrowing the kit from the uncapped England spinner Mason Crane.
The 41-year-old took to Twitter and Instagram to express his delight to being back on the field and added a bit of humor as well.
Ball’s injury is the latest entry in England’s expanding list of injured players on this tour. Steven Finn has already been ruled out from the Ashes following his left knee cartilage tearing up, and Moeen Ali has been forced to miss the warm-up games due to a side strain.
Ball suffered a sprain in his ankle during the fourth over of his spell against the Cricket Australia XI in the second tour match. Despite a nasty tumble he left the field without any support.
{{/usCountry}}Ball suffered a sprain in his ankle during the fourth over of his spell against the Cricket Australia XI in the second tour match. Despite a nasty tumble he left the field without any support.
{{/usCountry}}Collingwood, who is the only England captain to have won a World Cup trophy, has been playing other forms of cricket. Apart from scoring more than 1,000 runs for his County side Durham, he was one of the members of the ICC World XI that toured Pakistan for their three-match T20 series to mark the return of cricket in the country.
The Ashes starts November 23 at The Gabba with England currently grappling with a fresh row of injuries to their key players.