Exclusive - Bopara: 'Collingwood retirement gives me Test opportunity'

Ravi Bopara is hoping the retirement of Paul Collingwood will open the Test door for the Essex all-rounder.

Collingwood announced his withdrawal from the England Test side after securing a 3-1 Ashes series win this winter and Bopara has backed himself to fill the gap.

Speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show the 10-cap Test player thinks early season runs could be the key to inclusion.  

He said: "It’s been tough getting into to the Test team. At the moment there’s a space open with Paul Collingwood retiring. There is an opportunity there and I’ve just got to be sure that I score heavily early season to put my name in the hat for it.

"Collingwood has been a fantastic player for England, he’s also still in the ODI and Twenty20 squad and will play a massive part in both of those roles. When you look at the Test team though there is an opportunity for not only myself but for a couple of other people to come in, I’ve just got to make sure I score the early runs to really push for that spot.

"Ideally I’d like to go to the World Cup in February, that’s a massive goal for me and the one I’m really focusing on. I was at the last World Cup and its something that every player dreams of doing. Then my focus turns to the first Test series of the summer against Sri Lanka, and I’ve got to make it’s me in the team."