England cricket’s former hero, Paul Collingwood, is in the headlines these days, but for the wrong reasons. The first England captain to win the 2010 World Cup, now an assistant coach, has suddenly disappeared.
Ahead of the Ashes series, news has emerged that he will not be part of the background squad. Personal reasons are being cited, but in reality, leaked tapes, tax fraud, and personal life scandals have turned his life upside down.
The Daily Mail reports that Collingwood’s last public appearance was during the Hamilton Test against New Zealand in December. He disappeared after that.
What’s the whole story?
Collingwood’s troubles began in April 2023. His old friend and former cricketer, Graeme Swann, revealed this on the Rig Biz podcast.
Swann said, “pure Collingwood,” and called it proof of his “great tourist.” The matter was that an audio recording was leaked, in which Collingwood was heard having sex with several women for two hours.
The exact time and place of the recording is still unknown, but the clip spread in cricket circles. Swann described it with a laugh, but it tarnished Collingwood’s image.
Furthermore, an old incident from 2007 resurfaced. A day before the South Africa match in the T20 World Cup, photos of Collingwood at Mavericks, a strip club in Cape Town, were leaked. He was out for a golden duck in that match.
Collingwood later clarified, “I was taken to an inappropriate bar, and when I realized, I left immediately.”
The ECB fined him £1,000, but the matter quickly cooled down. Then, in 2022, after becoming interim head coach for the West Indies series, photos surfaced of him kissing a woman on a Barbados beach. England lost the series by 10 wickets.
The Tax Shock That Changed Everything
Now, the latest trouble is tax fraud. HMRC slapped Collingwood with a tax bill of £196,000 (approximately ₹2 crore).
This relates to an earlier scheme in which sponsorship money was channeled through his private company, “PDC Rights,” to reduce tax evasion.
A case was dismissed in 2009, but HMRC reopened the investigation.
They ruled that money from brands like Slazenger and Clydesdale Bank had been misappropriated. It should be considered self-employment income, not corporate income.
Collingwood lost his appeal and will now have to repay the full amount. Reports suggest that he missed the Zimbabwe match while trying to resolve the case in London.
Collingwood’s decline has come as a shock to cricket fans. From 2005 Ashes hero to coaching success, personal scandals have ruined everything. The ECB is now selecting a new team, and Collingwood’s return seems unlikely.
