Cricket: There are no regrets - Giles; GOOD BLOKE: Bears star forced to retire after losing injury battle.

Byline: By Brian Halford

ASHLEY Giles today insisted he had "no regrets" after announcing his retirement from all cricket.

Giles has finally accepted that his ongoing battle against hip trouble cannot be won. He has retired with immediate effect.

The 34-year-old, centrally contracted to England for the last five years, has been a peripheral figure for the Bears, except for in the treatment room, during that time.

But his popularity at Edgbaston never waned. Giles played 100 championship matches and took 323 wickets at 26.19 apiece while scoring three centuries and 17 halfcenturies on the way to a highly respectable batting average of 30.24.

He has also become the first of England's 2005 Ashes heroes to quit the game.

Giles made his announcement from the Oval where he recorded his best score for England of 59 to help win the Ashes two years ago.

Giles finishes his career as one of 10 England players to have recorded the double of 100 wickets and 1,000 runs at Test level but had his critics for most of his career, particularly when he was encouraged to bowl negatively around the wicket into Sachin Tendulkar's pads on the 2001 tour of India.

But he battled through those tough periods - including barracking from England fans - to play a leading role in the Ashes triumph, sharing a key stand with Matthew Hoggard to clinch victory at Trent Bridge and forging a crucial 109-run eighthwicket stand with Kevin Pietersen at the Oval.

"I suppose I had my fair share of criticism but that comes with the territory," said Giles. "I've been considered a good bloke and that's how I wanted to leave the game.

"You're a short time a cricketer and a long time a human being and if I can be considered a decent one of them then that's the most important thing.

"I think we all have periods of self-doubt but maybe I was more honest about them than others are, but that's the way I'm built."

Giles received an MBE for his efforts in helping to win the Ashes alongside the rest of the team and captain Michael Vaughan admitted: "In my view, Ashley has to be one of the most underrated cricketers ever to pull on an England shirt."

Giles suffered yet another recurrence of his injury while with the Bears in Grenada pre-season. Now he has accepted advice that retirement is the only option.

He said: "I would have liked to have left cricket at the very top still playing the game that I have always loved, whether it be on the village green or Test arena.

"But I have no regrets. I will always have great memories of being part of a fantastic Warwickshire and England dressing room."

CAPTION(S):

KEY MAN... Ashley Giles celebrates after hitting the winning runs at Trent Bridge during the Fourth Ashes Test in 2005.