England’s assistant coach, Paul Collingwood, has sparked widespread concern and speculation after his sudden disappearance from the public eye, citing ‘personal reasons’ just ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series. His last media appearance was back in December during England’s Third Test in Hamilton, New Zealand. Reports from the Daily Mail now suggest that Collingwood, renowned as England’s first World Cup-winning cricket captain, is unlikely to rejoin the England backroom team for the crucial series.
Controversies Mount: Leaked Photos and Explicit Tapes
The controversies surrounding Collingwood began to surface rapidly. Merely 56 days into his temporary role as head coach for a West Indies series, photographs surfaced of him kissing a woman on a Barbados beach. This incident occurred shortly after his England squad suffered a significant 10-wicket defeat in a decisive Test match. Further scandal erupted in April 2023 when former teammate Graeme Swann publicly revealed on a podcast that an explicit audio recording, allegedly featuring Collingwood in a two-hour sexual encounter with multiple women, was circulating among cricketers. Swann controversially characterized the recording as ‘pure Collingwood,’ suggesting it merely proved him to be a ‘great tourist,’ though the precise timing and location of the alleged event remain unclear.
The Infamous 2007 Strip Club Incident
This isn’t Collingwood’s first brush with public scandal. In 2007, just a day before captaining England in a crucial T20 World Cup match against South Africa (where he was dismissed for a golden duck), he was photographed at a Cape Town strip club called Mavericks. This was particularly awkward as he had married his then-wife in the very same city only two years prior. Collingwood later stated in his defense, ‘I was taken to an inappropriate bar, and once I realised that, I left immediately.’ He received a £1,000 fine for the indiscretion, and the issue was quickly put to rest.
Significant Legal Battle: Tax Fraud Allegations
Adding to his ever-growing list of woes, Collingwood recently faced a substantial legal defeat against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). He has been ordered to pay a hefty £196,000 (approximately ₹2 crore) tax bill. This considerable fine stems from a prolonged investigation into his financial dealings, specifically his use of a personal services company named ‘PDC Rights.’ It was alleged that he used this company to route earnings from various sponsorship deals, aiming to reduce his personal tax obligations. Despite a similar case being dismissed in 2009, HMRC reopened its inquiry, concluding that payments from major brands like Slazenger and Clydesdale Bank should rightfully be classified as self-employment income, not corporate earnings. Collingwood’s recent appeal failed, leaving him liable for the full amount. It is believed that he was attending to these pressing tax affairs in London, which coincided with his absence from England’s summer match against Zimbabwe.