Paul Collingwood: facing a spell on the sidelines.
England will have to look for another captain for the remainder of their series against New Zealand after Paul Collingwood was banned for four ODIs. Collingwood was found guilty of Level 3 ICC Code of Conduct breach following his side's failure to bowl their overs in the required time during their dramatic one-wicket defeat against New Zealand at The Oval on Wednesday.
In addition to missing the final one-dayer against New Zealand at Lord's on Saturday, Collingwood will also play no part in England's ODI against Scotland, their Twenty20 international against South Africa on August 20, nor the first of seven ODIs a week later. It leaves England in a difficult position. Trailing the current series against New Zealand 2-1, they now not only need to appoint a new captain but also find a replacement No.5.
The likely candidate to take the reins is Kevin Pietersen. Although he hasn't yet captained England in any form of the game, he is their third most experienced in the side and the first on the team sheet. Who replaces Collingwood at No.5 for the South Africa matches is harder to guess, but a shift in the batting order could be made to accommodate Alastair Cook - England's leading run-scorer in their last two one-day series - who has now fully recovered from his shoulder injury. Luke Wright and Ian Bell's opening partnership has promised much, but if Cook does return, it seems probable he will open the batting. Wright could then bolster the middle-order.
Collingwood's four-match ban comes hot on the heels of yesterday's controversial match at The Oval. With Grant Elliott being run out after colliding with Ryan Sidebottom, Collingwood was offered the chance to withdraw his appeal. He turned it down, however, a decision he later apologised for.
A deficit of more than two overs in an ODI brings with it an automatic Level 2 charge against the captain involved, but if that captain has already been charged and found guilty of the offence within the preceding 12 months then the charge is elevated to Level 3.
England also felt short of the required over-rate against India in Bristol on August 24 last year. On that occasion the team was, as at The Oval on Wednesday, three overs down and Collingwood was fined 50% of his match fee. The regulations also state that players shall be docked 5% of their match fees for every over short of the required mark, with the captain fined double.
This means that each England player will be fined 15 per cent of his match fee for the deficit but Collingwood is set to escape a financial penalty as his punishment is set to come in the form of the ban. He does have the right of appeal within the next 24 hours.
The charge was laid by all four umpires - the on-field officials Steve Davis and Mark Benson, television umpire Richard Kettleborough and fourth official Peter Hartley. All four umpires were present at the hearing, along with the player, England manager Phil Neale and coach Peter Moores.
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