Further setback for Giles

England spinner Ashley Giles will miss most of the English County season recovering from a hip operation.

He underwent the surgery recently in Colombo, after suffering from pain on the long-troubled hip during Warwickshire’s pre-season preparations. It was the third operation he has had to have on his right hip; he spent most of the 2006 season recovering from the last one.

He did recover sufficiently to play in the first two Ashes Tests last year, but performed poorly before being replaced by Monty Panesar. He later chose to return home to be with his ill wife, who was diagnosed as having a brain tumour. Despite being available, he was not included in England’s World Cup squad, and was named Warwickshire’s vice-captain for the 2007 season.

Speaking to English newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Giles said: “At this stage I can’t say how long I will be out of action, but it could be for most of the summer, the operation was more straightforward than the one I had last summer but I will be on crutches for longer.”