Paul Collingwood

Old Trafford was dangerous

Wed Sep 02 11:31AM

It was hugely frustrating to have our Twenty20 international against Australia abandoned last night.

There was a big thunderstorm in the afternoon and the main area of concern was the run-up at the Brian Statham end at Old Trafford.

The umpires made a brave decision calling it off early, and I think it was a good one. Sometimes umpires will leave it later and later when really everyone knows the situation won't improve.

They approached me and Australia captain Michael Clarke and said it was not fit for international cricket. If we had asked our fast bowlers to run on that there was a danger they could have injured themselves, and as captain you obviously have a responsibility to look after your players.

There was also a big muddy patch at backward point, which didn't help. If you start playing and people are slipping about all over the place it risks becoming a farce.

I know Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes said we could have played, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but first and foremost it was the umpires who made the decision.

Twenty20 cricket is a high-speed intense game, and the way people throw themselves around you have to be very careful on a sub-standard playing surface, which in my opinion Old Trafford was last night.

They have recently had a new drainage system put in, and these sometimes take a while to bed in. We had a similar situation at Headingley earlier in the year.

It is easy to point the finger, but sometimes there is no way to beat Mother Nature.

Of course I can understand the fans frustration, particularly after the first match was abandoned on Sunday. If you've paid good money to watch a game of cricket it is obviously disappointing to have it rained off.

We were just as frustrated. We've now only got four Twenty20 games left before the next World Cup in the West Indies and we were desperate to get a game in.

We have got some new players in there like Jonathan Trott and Joe Denly, so looking ahead we need to play as much as possible to gel as a team. Now we risk going into another World Cup without much cricket under our belts.

I am handing the reins back to Andrew Strauss for the one-day series and it should be a good one. Seven matches is a hell of a lot of cricket to play - we had seven against India a couple of years ago and it went right to the last match. People will be hoping for the same again.

I think it's a myth that the weather is better down south, but we will certainly be looking for some sun at The Oval on Friday. It has been one of those frustrating, stop-start summers.

The squad meets formally tomorrow morning, but today we are playing golf at Sunningdale, which is Straussy's local course. I've never had the pleasure of playing there so it should be a good afternoon.

Comments1 - 13 of 13

you guys never wanted to play, the conditions wern't ideal but they were playable. And you wonder why cricket is a dying sport? The fans you take for granted deserve better.
From ddickzim on Wed Sep 02 12:04PM
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Of course Old Trafford is dangerous.Visiting teams are always liable to have dubious penalties awarded against them by susceptible referees!
From fetchthat on Wed Sep 02 12:12PM
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And of course you know better than the officials and international cricketers what is playable and what s not....... ummm... I think not.
From peterjhead on Wed Sep 02 12:53PM
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rofl at #2... heh heh..
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From neilmicmac112211 on Wed Sep 02 03:03PM
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From neilmicmac112211 on Wed Sep 02 04:22PM
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From neilmicmac112211 on Wed Sep 02 04:29PM
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I was one of the 19,000 mugs who sat around for hours watching you and your big girls blouse's faff about.
Its time you were reminded who pays your wages son,Jimmie Cumbes was right
this isnt test cricket its baseball so get out and play,call yourselfs men
ive seen more 'men' in a trannie club in Canal Street!
From andyganley on Wed Sep 02 07:06PM
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free Jar of Barbacue Beef Hello Its a cricket forum you plonker. I understand the concerns with injury but a lot of people paid money to sit in the rain, we need to go indoors somehow
From philplant1 on Wed Sep 02 08:40PM
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Short runup from one end .Same for both sides . How many people will not pay to watch again ?
From kj35tfe on Wed Sep 02 09:21PM
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Spoilt and far too chummy by half. He cannot be bothered to weather the conditions and accommodate thousands of paying public and a country he is supposed to represent but no problem to play golf at Sunningdale "Straussy's home course" pathetic. What a prima donna. Get him and his ilk out of the England set-up. The pitch is a bit slippery - well diddums - you're paid extortionate amounts to play the game and not sit in the dressing room.
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From neilmicmac112211 on Thu Sep 03 01:50AM
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you people are stupid neanderthal idiots if the pitch is not playable then its not playable get over it
From ryan3mandy on Thu Sep 03 07:40AM
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