County Durham-born all-rounder Paul Collingwood has been in and around the England team for nearly a decade, but his unassuming nature on the field often means he is criminally underrated.

That perhaps stems from his early England career, when he was often seen as a fill in for injured players. This was shown by his single appearance in 2005 Ashes series when Simon Jones pulled out of the final deciding Test.

It also has to do with his ability to contribute to the team in several aspects. He is a decent bowler on his day, a determined batsman, and an excellent fielder. Unfortunately the jack of all trades, master of none reputation is one he has struggled to shrug off.

Until, that is, the 2005-06 tour of India when Collingwood began to force his way into the team on a regular basis, hitting his maiden Test century in Nagpur. By the time the 2006-07 Ashes series came around Collingwood was a regular in the batting line up. He hit a memorable double 100 in Adelaide only for it to be over shadowed by a spectacular final day collapse in a defeat England never recovered from.

Collingwood's mental strength though is one of his key assets. He grimly held on against the odds in Cardiff last summer to help save the first Ashes test, while his spells as national captain in the shorter forms of the game finally reaped rewards last winter when he led England to a first ever ICC trophy - the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. Now, the Ashes best odds suggest he will be vital if England are to taste success in Australia.

Collingwood heads Downunder as a cornerstone of the England batting line up. His ability to stand up and be counted in the face of fierce bowling will be invaluable in the white hot arena of an Ashes battle in Australia. Should a batting collapse occur, then Collingwood is the man most likely to hold the opposition at bay which and save a Test match. Anyone looking to bet on top England batsman at the Ashes should give Collingwood some serious thought.

If England are to retain the Ashes then big performances from Collingwood will be required.