Today's Special

Paul Collingwood set to be named England Twenty20 skipper

Paul Collingwood is the shock No.1 choice to be England's skipper in the Twenty20 World Cup.

The former one-day captain - who quit because he felt leading the side was having a negative impact on his game - has been sounded out about taking the post for the competition in June.

Collingwood is seen as the ideal choice because of his international experience and coaching brain.

Kent captain Robert Key was tipped for the job when he was named in the provisional 30- man England Twenty20 squad, but official insiders say Collingwood is now the selectors' choice - and is thinking it over.

The Durham all-rounder is swaying towards accepting the challenge.

He resigned the one-day captaincy when his pal Michael Vaughan stepped down as Test skipper a couple of years ago.

Collingwood should also be tuned up going into the World Cup as he will be playing for the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League when that T20 competition gets going later this month.

England need a replacement for skipper Andrew Strauss, left out of the squad having told selectors he was not as comfortable with the T20 format as he was with Test and 50- over cricket.

Rob Key would rather play in Ashes tests than be Twenty20 captain

Rob Key would jump at the chance to be England's Twenty20 captain - but would pass it up to be an Ashes hero this summer.
Today Key leads a powerful MCC side against county champions Durham at Lord's in the traditional three-sweater curtainraiser to the new season.

With former England captain Michael Vaughan and Caribbean discard Ian Bell among his foot soldiers, the four-day game could be a live audition to bat at No.3 against Australia.

Key is already a strong contender to lead England in the ICC World Twenty20 on home soil after Test captain Andrew Strauss stepped aside because he didn't want their big hitters bogged down by a "stodgy opener".

Sport Desk understands that Paul Collingwood, who stood down as one-day captain last August, is in line for the honour.

But last night the Kent skipper, nicknamed Bob the Builder on the county circuit, admitted he would relish captaincy at the 16-day slogfest in June if Kevin Pietersen, Freddie Flintoff and Collingwood turn down the job.

Significantly, he is also desperate to make amends for the disappointment of starting 2005 as England's No.3 - only to be dropped just before the Ashes.

He said: "Of course I would love to be England captain at the Twenty20 World Cup - I'd never turn down something like that. But at the moment I'm one of only 30 names in the provisional squad and I'm not getting too excited because it doesn't help if you are only the 29th best Twenty20 player in the country.

"There are five or six guys who could take on the captaincy in that squad - there's plenty of leadership experience in there and I could end up being captain, just opening the batting or not even being in the final 15-man squad.

"But I've waited four years just to play for England again, and if you said to me I could be our main player at the Twenty20 world championship or in the Ashes, I would have to choose the Ashes