Giles aiming for June return

Ashley Giles, the England spinner, has targetted a return to cricket next month and hopes to be ready for the Test series against Pakistan beginning on July 13. Hip and hernia problems ruled Giles out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting at Lord's tomorrow, but the veteran was confident of putting his injury misery behind him.

"We think we have got to the bottom of my problems. It seems to be a dodgy groin," Giles, 33, told reporters. "I've had the hip problem and the hip problem is still there. Which came first - the groin or the hip? One could have had an effect on the other. But hopefully we've got to the bottom of it and hopefully in five weeks I can start playing cricket."

Apart from Giles, Michael Vaughan and the pace trio of Stephen Harmison, Simon Jones and James Anderson have all been sidelined with injury. England have a hectic schedule leading upto this winter's Ashes series in Australia, and Giles called for every player to be wary of burnout, a hot topic in recent times. "We have to keep the key players fit," he said. "It puts more pressure on the senior guys still in the side. The one we are talking about is Andrew Flintoff. You can't be losing Andrew Flintoff coming into the Ashes. He's that much of a good player but it's a difficult balance."

David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, added that blooding youngsters would be key to England's success in Australia. "We see some of the young guys like Alistair Cook who we think will be playing a part in Australia. We need to give him as much experience as we possibly can," he said. "We have some fantastic depth. Now our job is difficult for the right reasons, that we have lots of people to select from. I mentioned the word rotation some months ago and we have to deliver our guys physically fit to play Australia because that's what the cricketing public deserve."

On the series against Sri Lanka, Giles said: "Over here you are looking to dominate with your quick bowlers. Sri Lanka are not used to playing the ball at chest height, particularly against somebody quick like Andrew Flintoff. Murali's going to be a handful. It might be his last trip to England. We all love to see him bowl and hope he has a relative amount of success - but that England win three-nil."