Ashley Giles Announces Retirement from Cricket
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

LONDON (UK): England Test cricketer Ashley Giles on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect after a medical advice following his hip surgery.

Giles played 54 Tests and appeared in 62 One day Internationals for England. He took 143 Test wickets with his left arm spin. His Test debut was against South Africa at Old Trafford in 1998 and his final Test match was against Australia in Adelaide in December 2006.

He also served Warwickshire with distinction playing 178 County Championship matches for the county during a career which began in 1993. He was also a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2005.

Announcing his decision, he said: ‘Following guidance from my hip surgeon, I am very sorry to announce that I am retiring from all forms of cricket with immediate effect.

“I had hoped to make a full recovery and return to playing over the next few months but the advice I have received means that there is no chance of me returning to cricket at any level.

England captain Michael Vaughan paying his tributes said: “Ashley’s retirement is very sad news and everyone in the England dressing room will miss his professionalism and, of course, his sense of humor.

“In my view, Ashley has to be one of the most underrated cricketers ever to pull on an England shirt. He was a key member of the England Test side which won six successive Test series and I know how much his teammates valued his contributions to our success.

“What also stands out for me is his strength of character. He went through difficult periods earlier in his career where he had long term injuries but his determination to recover from them and regain his international place is an object lesson not just to other cricketers but to any professional sportsman.”

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, added: ‘Ashley has played a significant role in one of the most successful periods in England cricket and this is a sad day for cricket in England and Wales. He established himself in the side during the series victory in Pakistan in 2000 which was viewed by everyone as the launch pad for so much of what England has achieved subsequently.”●