Moxon backing exiles to return

Jul 19 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

THE Second Test between England and South Africa is the first time since December 2003 that Durham have not been represented at that level following the decision to drop Paul Collingwood yesterday.

Collingwood was left out of the side to make way for talismanic all-rounder Freddie Flintoff, while Steve Harmison’s involvement in Durham’s County Championship match with Surrey meant Nottinghamshire’s Darren Pattinson was given his England debut at Headingley.

Harmison, as the County Championship’s leading wicket-taker, will have every right to feel aggrieved. In theory, the England selectors had the power to call him up, even though he is midway through a County game, although they may have been reluctant to do so given the disruption it would have caused Durham.

Collingwood’s omission was expected, but Martyn Moxon, the man who handed both players their debuts at Durham and helped nurture them into international cricketers, believes both will return to the Test Arena.

“I don’t think it’s the end for either of them,” said Moxon, who left the Riverside last year to become Yorkshire’s director of cricket. “I know Geoff (Cook, the Durham coach) well and I know Durham well and they are in the perfect place to build a case for a recall. If you ask me Steve should already be back in. He’s having a fantastic season, but Paul will go away, he’ll work on his game and he will bat himself back into form. I’ve always been a big admirer of Paul as a cricketer.

“Geoff has so much experience, he has been in the game for a very long time and he has done a pretty good job getting Steve back up and running after his disappointments over the winter. The bottom line is they are both fantastic cricketers.”

Of course, Moxon may have a vested interest in getting Collingwood and Harmison back into the Test team as he admits the prospect of both lining up for Durham in the County Championship is an ominous prospect for their domestic rivals.

He added: “When I was at Durham things really took off in 2005 when we had Colly, Harmy, Mike Hussey and Dale Benkenstein all in the same side.

“If you look at the options Durham have now, you are talking about Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Michael Di Venuto, Paul Collingwood and Dale as batsman and Harmy and Liam Plunkett with the ball. That is some side Geoff can pick so it is certainly good news for Durham, even if, as individuals, Paul and Steve will both be disappointed.”