Captain Collingwood Aching to Post an England Series Victory

The fanciful notion that Kevin Pietersen has been on stand-by to make his England captaincy debut surrendered to reality yesterday when Paul Collingwood dutifully confirmed that he would lead the tourists as normal today as they strive to win a one-day series in Sri Lanka for the first time.

Any putative Pietersen captaincy would have involved Collingwood surrendering to a minor shoulder niggle with England on the verge of something special. "We haven't even discussed who would be captain," Collingwood said dismissively. "It would have been very hard to keep me out. This is our final push. We want to win the series."

The chance of Collingwood absenting himself from today's floodlit game because of a bruised shoulder, with England 2-1 up with two to play, was always non-existent. He is a tough cookie, but on this occasion he could have been as soft as a dunked biscuit and he still would have put himself down to play. "It's just a niggle, that's all, nothing too major," he said yesterday. "It's just hung around a lot longer than expected and has not restricted me in any way."

But England had spent more than a week without a scanning machine in sight and they were probably suffering withdrawal symptoms. There is barely a bone of an England cricketer that has not been held up to the light and studied by a specialist. Collingwood had suffered a dislocation of his other shoulder in the past so it was vaguely worth a look, but there must be more deserving cases on the waiting list. The award for the most exaggerated injury, however, had to go to the Colombo Daily News, which reported that Farveez Maharoof is "out of danger" after recovering from a strained rib cage.

This ODI series has not stirred public imagination, and the October monsoon might yet give it a bedraggled conclusion, but England's recovery since a severe beating in the opening game has bonded an enthusiastic squad. "I don't give a monkey's if people are watching back home or not," Collingwood said. His simple pride in his team's performance is admirable.

England's series is not yet won. Murali has been in the nets after his bicep injury - he bowled about 50 deliveries yesterday - and he might return for the final match on Saturday, if Sri Lanka manage to level the series 2-2. "We have been talking about him from the start," said Collingwood, "so we would view it as a challenge for us."

Kushil Gunaskera, Murali's manager, still insists, though, that the player will not appear. A two-Test tour of Australia beckons and Murali needs nine more victims to surpass the world record of the leg-spinner Shane Warne, now retired, of 708 Test wickets. If Sri Lanka do introduce a spinner it is more likely to be Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Loku for short, a leg-spinner.

Collingwood knows that a first ODI series victory in Sri Lanka would assist the cause for the Test series, if only because it would represent a losing start for Trevor Bayliss, their new coach. "If we can take a series win home it can help," the captain said. "It's an advantage to know that we can win out here."

Series victories at home to India and in Sri Lanka would be excellent achievements in Collingwood's first few months at the helm of the one-day team, although there have been disappointments. His tactical acumen has not come overnight and he has made simple errors such as miscalculating his bowlers' overs. But he is an honest-to-goodness captain with the respect of his team.

Sri Lankan odyssey

February 1982

Colombo England won by 5 runs

Colombo Sri Lanka won by 3 runs

March 1993

Colombo Sri Lanka won by 32 runs

Muratuwa Sri Lanka won by 8 wkts

March 2001

Dambulla Sri Lanka won by 5 wkts

Colombo Sri Lanka won by 66 runs

Colombo Sri Lanka won by 10 wkts

November 2003

Dambulla Sri Lanka won by 10 wkts

October 2007

Dambulla Sri Lanka won by 119 runs

Dambulla England won by 65 runs

Dambulla England won by 2 wkts