Collingwood fined over strip-club

England have fined one-day captain Paul Collingwood �1,000 after he went to a lap-dancing club on the eve of Sunday's Twenty20 match against South Africa.

England lost the Super Eight game by 19 runs, with the married Collingwood out first ball, and he said he later apologised to the England management.

"It's obviously unacceptable. I'm England captain and going to these places isn't the thing to do," he said.

"You learn from these lessons and hopefully it won't happen again."

Collingwood's visit to the Cape Town bar the night before England's third Twenty20 World Cup game was revealed by The Sun newspaper on Tuesday.

Witnesses in the club said he was "looking pretty relaxed and drinking at the bar".

The 31-year-old claimed he had been taken to the club by friends and was not drinking seriously.

Collingwood said: "I had one beer there and thought, I need to get out of this place."

This latest off-field trouble comes just months after England courted controversy at the World Cup in the West Indies in March.

Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned for a match, while five other players were fined after being caught drinking into the early hours of Saturday with a game looming that Sunday.

Collingwood did not know if the England and Wales Cricket Board would discipline him for his behaviour in South Africa.

"I'm not too sure, it's entirely up to them," he said.

"I've made apologies to them and I realise it was inappropriate to go there and that was my mistake."

The England team's media spokesman told BBC Sport on Tuesday there had been no discussion over potential disciplinary action but was unable to rule out the possibility.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney remained tight-lipped on the issue and said he had not read the newspaper article.

He told BBC Radio 5live: "All I'm prepared to say on that issue is that I've been impressed with the way the players have prepared for their matches.

"They are totally focused."

Asked if he thought Collingwood was a good captain he said: "Very good.

"I've been impressed with the way he has captained the team and the team's spirit."

Collingwood, who prepared for England's defeat to New Zealand on Tuesday with a round of golf in the morning, says he is now concentrating on Wednesday's must-win match against India.

"Hopefully we can quickly get over it and concentrate on this game on Wednesday. Mathematically we're still hoping we can get through."

Source: BBC Sport