Quick return giving Collingwood extra time to adjust

Hannah Mae Collingwood was born five days ago, allowing her father and key batting all-rounder to fly with his England team-mates to Bangladesh for two World Cup warm-up matches.

Collingwood, still nursing the minor back injury which ruled him out of the final defeat in England’s 6-1 trouncing by Australia, is without a 50 in his last 11 one-day international innings.

The 34-year-old, who retired from Test cricket at the end of the successful Ashes campaign last month, has looked significantly out of form in both formats with the bat but has continued to contribute well with his nagging medium-pace.

He was expected, like off-spinner Graeme Swann – whose first child is imminent – to be a late arrival on England’s World Cup tour.

But the ICC World Twenty20-winning captain was present to take part in the squad’s first practice session yesterday, in preparation for an opening warm-up match against Canada tomorrow.

For that, he had his daughter and wife Vicky to thank, and he said: “It was fantastic news. On Wednesday, we had our third girl. Everything is 100 per cent well, and it is perfect timing really.

“It meant I can come straight out here and get on with the preparations and get the back 100 per cent right and adjust to the conditions.”

Whether his injury will keep him on the sidelines initially remains to be seen for an England team expected to be at full strength once the action is under way in earnest.

Before then, Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan – who also left the Australia series early because of a calf problem – and Stuart Broad, fit again after his abdominal muscle tear but laid low by a stomach bug after training yesterday, are also on the easy list.

Collingwood reported: “I had injections into the back last week. I’m looking forward to getting back to being 100 per cent – at the minute, I’m probably a little bit off that.

“Whether I’m going to be fit for that first warm-up game, we’ll have to wait and see.”

England’s campaign has been robbed, by a finger injury, of the occasionally ingenious batsmanship of Eoin Morgan.

Collingwood acknowledges the Irishman will be tough to replace, but believes England have the resources to do so adequately.

“He’s an exceptional player,” he added. “But it’s up to us, all 11 who go out on the park, to make sure he’s not missed too much.”