Despite enduring a forgettable tour of Australia with the bat, Paul Collingwood is confident his best form is not far away. The veteran right-hander managed just 83 runs during the Ashes while in the following limited-overs series he has averaged a mere 12.5 so far.
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It is a run of form that can be terminal to a career of someone in the twilight of their international days as Collingwood, who turns 35 in May, sensed when he retired from Test cricket following the Ashes. That decision may have given him extra time in which to rediscover his form in the shorter formats and, with the World Cup now less than a month away, Collingwood is confident he will turn his fortunes around before then. A brisk 27 in yesterday's 21-run win in Adelaide, when his arrival at number seven in the late overs allowed him to play with a freedom he has seldom displayed so far on tour, gave an indication that a form change could be imminent. It was the first time Collingwood had passed 20 since the second Test in Adelaide almost two months ago to provide him with some long-awaited encouragement. "I'm the first to admit that I haven't been in great form and that's my role in the side," he said after the team's arrival in Brisbane for the fifth one-day international on Sunday. "I'm trying every possible way to get back into good nick. "I know from past experience that getting back into a good run of form can be pretty immediate. "Maybe after an innings like yesterday when I hit a couple out of the middle of the bat, it might just click. "I tried to resort to my strengths, going to the leg-side, and thankfully it worked for a couple of shots. I was quite happy. "I'm really confident it is just around the corner." A characteristic heaved six over mid-wicket off Brett Lee was the highlight and Collingwood, who became the first Engl! and bats man to pass 5,000 one-day runs during the innings, said shots like that could provide the turning point he has been searching for. "Things like that can click you back into form. The mental side of the game is huge," he added. "David Boon said when he was at Durham back in 1998 that international cricket is 90% mental and 10% technique. At the time I didn't understand what he meant by it but the more I've played international cricket the more I understand that statement. "Confidence is a huge factor, all the things that you take into your batting is very mental. "Hopefully there will be less tension going out into the middle next time around and more confidence and that can do me the world of good. "But yesterday I was happy with my game. "I was just happy to pass 20. I hadn't done that for a while."
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