Paul Collingwood has assured Durham’s top brass that he has no plans to hang up his first-class boots, despite announcing his Test retirement after England retained the Ashes with a third innings victory in five Tests at Sydney earlier this month.

The England and Durham all-rounder insists he’s got plenty of county cricket left in him, which will be welcome news for Riverside members.

And Collingwood also confirmed his intention to keep leading England’s Twenty20 side.

“I am definitely not retiring from playing for Durham,”

Collingwood insisted.

“I’ve only retired from Test cricket and nothing else. I want to keep playing one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals for England and county cricket for Durham.”

Collingwood, left out of the one-day side in Sunday’s dramatic loss in Melbourne, decided to hang up his Test boots after suffering an uncharacteristic form slump in the Ashes series when he managed just 83 runs in six innings at a dismal 13.83 average – way below his impressive Test batting average of 40.56.

But the Shotley Bridge lad has always been worth more to his country than mere statistics would suggest.

One of the finest fielders in world cricket, Collingwood was also a handy bowler and the most unselfish cricketer in England’s set-up.

The former England oneday international captain has even earned the respect of Australian legend Shane Warne.

Four years ago, during England’s disastrous Ashes tour of Australia, Warne mocked Collingwood for accepting an MBE alongside every victorious England player, for winning the epic 2005 Ashes series on home soil, despite the Durham batsman playing just one Test at The Oval, when he scored only 17 in two innings.

The spin king repeatedly urged Collingwood to throw the Queen’s honour back over the Buckingham Palace fence, but at Sydney, Warne grudgingly changed his mind.

“Paul Collingwood has been a wonderful contributor to English cricket and I wish him well for the future,”

Warne said.

“I still think making 17 runs in one Test doesn’t warrant an MBE, but I suppose I should let it go.”

Former Durham captain David Boon, who led the Riversiders for three seasons from 1996-98, believes England will struggle to replace Collingwood with a player of equal ability and humility.

Tasmania’s greatest ever cricketer and the veteran of 107 Tests and 181 one-day internationals for Australia from 1984-1995, played a pivotal role in Collingwood’s early development as a county professional and has continued to admire his abilities on the other side of the fence as a selector.

“Paul has always had talent and leadership qualities, ever since the first time I saw him at Durham as a young man,”

Boon said.

“He also had a desire and a work ethic to be the best he could be, which has shown in his international career.

“He has captained England which is a huge honour, and in my opinion he has been the heartbeat of the England team.

“I feel proud and privileged to have been an influence on Colly’s career and enjoyed every minute of my time with him at Durham even though I didn’t enjoy it when he thwarted Australia.

“I congratulate Colly and wish him all the best for the future because he is a credit to himself, his family, Durham and England.”