Paul Collingwood
The ultimate team man whose gritty determination, brilliant fielding, and clutch performances made him the heart of England's first major limited-overs triumph.
Born 1976 (age 50)·English cricketer·Birthday: May 26·Generation X
Biography
Paul Collingwood was the glue. In an era of English cricket often searching for identity, he was the unwavering constant—a player whose value far exceeded a glance at his batting average. A fierce competitor from Durham, he built a reputation as perhaps the finest fielder of his generation, a boundary rider who turned certain fours into spectacular outs. With the bat, he was a scrapper, specializing in gritty, situation-aware innings that rescued his side. His leadership moment came in the Caribbean in 2010, where he captained a young, unfancied England team to their first-ever ICC trophy, the World Twenty20. Fittingly, it was Collingwood who nudged the winning single in the final, a quiet culmination for a player who preferred substance to style. He remains a symbol of what can be achieved not just with talent, but with relentless will.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained England to victory in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, the team's first major international limited-overs trophy.
- Was the first England player to score 1,000 runs and take 50 wickets in One Day International cricket.
- Scored a double-century (206) against Australia at Adelaide in the 2006-07 Ashes series.
Did You Know?
He famously took a spectacular, diving catch to dismiss Australia's Matthew Hayden in the 2005 Ashes, a series-defining moment.
Collingwood is a keen amateur boxer and has used the training to maintain his fitness.
He bowled a rare 'double wicket maiden' in a Twenty20 International against Australia in 2007.
““You have to enjoy the pressure, otherwise you’re in the wrong game.””
