Paul Collingwood says he is disappointed so many established players have left Durham rather than helping the club return to the top tier of the County Championship.
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Ahead of his 23rd season at Durham, club captain Paul Collingwood has spoken of his frustration at witnessing so many players leave the county, claiming that loyalty is a rare commodity in the modern game.
Only six of the 18 players who appeared in Durham’s Championship triumph in 2013 remain at Chester-le-Street, with several homegrown stars opting to leave following the county’s demotion to Division Two ahead of the last campaign.
The talent drain started with Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman leaving for Surrey in the winter of 2016 and continued at the end of last summer with 50-over captain Keaton Jennings and veteran seamer Graham Onions heading to Lancashire, while T20 skipper and England Lions all-rounder Paul Coughlin, 25, has moved to Nottinghamshire.
That means relying on the conveyor belt of talent that has produced numerous England cricketers in recent times to keep coming up with the goods, and Collingwood identified Matty Potts, a 19-year-old paceman, as a player worth keeping an eye on.
“He impressed straightaway,” said Collingwood of Potts, who took 14 Championship wickets in five matches last season. “He looks the real deal and is very exciting.”
Durham begin their Championship season with a home fixture against Kent on April 20.
