PAUL Collingwood would love to captain Durham, but if they are thinking of having a change of leadership next season they will have to look beyond him.

"I'm desperate to earn another central contract and play Test cricket. That's still my ambition," said Durham's vice-captain.

"Things haven't gone to plan this season, but until I feel I have given international cricket my best shot I can't really think about captaining Durham.

"It's a hectic schedule and I know how much time and effort it takes playing at the highest level. It takes a lot out of you mentally and physically and I wouldn't be able to put enough into the Durham job."

Collingwood revealed that it was more a case of strong advice than an order from the England management that he should miss Wednesday night's floodlit defeat by Somerset because of his knee injury.

"I saw the ECB doctor, Peter Gregory, and he said I should have two weeks off to try to get the inflammation down and build up the muscles round the knee.

"It is frustrating because it's an important time for Durham and to miss a big game like Wednesday night's was very disappointing.

"It was a very hard decision to make, but I've had the injury for six weeks and there comes a time when you have to ask yourself if you are giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed. I don't want to be going into the ICC Trophy 80 per cent fit."

Collingwood has been able to bowl without pain, but was clearly hurt when he made a diving stop in the field before his match-winning innings against Worcestershire last Sunday.

"Any kind of impact is very painful and causes it to swell up again," he said. "Batting is OK because it's my back leg and I don't tend to get hit on it.

"I need to build up the muscles through cycling and swimming and weights, and I'm still allowed to practise in the nets.

"Hopefully I'll be OK when I join up with the England squad in two weeks."

Collingwood was surprised and delighted to be awarded a central contract last September and all was going well when he won two Test caps in Sri Lanka in the winter.

But his lack of opportunity in four-day cricket has seen him overtaken by Andrew Strauss and Robert Key, while Ian Bell's prolific form for Warwickshire has put him in the running for a place on next winter's tour of South Africa.

"Things have not gone to plan this summer," admitted Collingwood.

"Some of it is my fault and some has been beyond my control.

"In first-class cricket you have to be playing all the time and being consistent, but I haven't played much.

"I haven't been able to do a Rob Key in terms of getting runs under my belt, and it has been a tough season in that respect. But I still have the same ambitions."

In his last full season with Durham in 2001, Collingwood scored 978 championship runs at an average of 48.9. But the combination of England one-day duties and injuries has seen him play only 15 championship games in the last three seasons.

In 2002 he averaged 41.2 from five games, last year it was 28.2 from four and this season 29.3 from six, one of which he came into halfway through after being released from the Test squad at Lord's.

* The abandonment of the first day's play in Durham's match against Somerset at Riverside at least gave Australian Shaun Tait the opportunity to be reunited with his kit.

He will make his debut if the match gets underway today and said: "I'm really looking forward to it."

The 21-year-old paceman's luggage arrived 24 hours after him and he admitted he was glad of a change of clothes, as well as having his own boots.

He was wanted by Glamorgan in mid-season, but he said: "That was too early as we had the Sri Lankans coming and I was in the Test squad.

"The timing is perfect now. The schedule is a bit more hectic than we are used to in Australia, but with 21 days' cricket left I should be fine.

"I haven't played a game since the end of our season in March, but I have been practising all the time so I have no worries about my fitness."

Tait is looking forward to bowling at Australia captain Ricky Ponting for the first time in a match.

"I've only bowled to him in practice," he said. "He's probably in the top three batsmen in the world.

"I wish I could advise Durham about his weaknesses, but he doesn't have too many."