PAUL COLLINGWOOD is looking forward to the upcoming Twenty20 fixtures, but still maintains that the longer game should be the most important aspect for a young cricketer coming into the game.
Collingwood's return to fitness from a knee injury coincided with Durham's first Twenty20 Cup game - a defeat against Warwickshire Bears - and the Dynamos now play six T20 matches on the bounce before returning to County Championship action later this month.
Durham's signing of specialist T20 hitter David Miller, the rise of the Indian Premier League and England's T20 World Cup win - marshalled by Collingwood - has shown how the profile of the short game has risen.
And, with the veritable riches on offer to those offered a game in the IPL, Collingwood - who was contracted to Delhi Daredevils but was unable to play owing to injury - hopes that young players do not forget about four or five-day cricket.
Collingwood, speaking at the launch of Gateshead College's Cricket Development Centre, said: "I know from my era, Test cricket was always the ultimate for me. However, us older cricketers have got to filter into the younger generation that this is still the big test in terms of the mental side.
"Five days of playing against top opposition, if you know you've done well, you can be satisfied with your work.
"But there are other draws in world cricket such as Twenty20 and the IPL with the amount of money that's involved. I see that as a positive.
"When I was growing up, you wanted to play football because of the money they earned. I hope that youngsters see that about cricket and say I want to play the game.
"But also we do need to look at keeping Test cricket as the ultimate test of the game."
The Shotley Bridge all-rounder has not featured in an England shirt since the World Cup, and, after losing the T20 captaincy to Stuart Broad last month, will learn this week whether he is included in the squad for England's upcoming T20 and one-day games.
It is almost a decade to the day since Collingwood's first one-day match, against Pakistan in 2001.
The constant rotation of T20, one-day and Test cricket saw Collingwood on England duty for 287 days out of the year last year.
Now, retired from the longer game, the 36-year-old father of three is enjoying the quiet life.
"It's been really good. These last eight weeks have been great. I don't think I've had a break like this since 2003 when I dislocated my shoulder," he said.
"To spend time at home and get back to normal living ways. At international level, you're literally on the road all the time.
"Just spending the last two months seeing my parents, my brother and family has been fantastic.
"My daughters must have thought I was just an image on a computer screen when I been talking to them via Skype when away with England.
"It was nice to come back and teach Shannon to ride a bike and other stuff like that - things you can't do when you're away. It's been a lovely period."
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