Giles will be fit for the Ashes

Parsons says Giles is well on the road to recovery © Getty Images

David Parsons, England's spin bowling coach, has said Ashley Giles will be fit in time for this winter's Ashes in Australia. Giles hasn't played competitive cricket since the second Test against Pakistan last November and underwent hip surgery at the Steadman Hawkins clinic in Colorado, where he was treated by the pioneering surgeon Marc Philippon.

"He will be fighting fit and raring to go by the time England touch down in Australia," Parsons told BBC Sport. "The last couple of weeks I have been working quite closely with Ashley and he is coming on strong. He is genuinely making good progress. It is all timed towards making sure he is ready for Australia and from what I have seen he is very much on course for that."

In spite of his lengthy absence - which allowed Monty Panesar to prove his undeniable worth this summer - Giles was included in England's Ashes squad last week, together with Panesar. David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors, also confirmed Giles would travel with England's one-day squad for next month's Champions Trophy in India, although he will take no part.

"Ashley is very excited about getting back to playing [and] still has a considerable period of time - England don't play their first game in Australia until 10 November," Parsons said. "He will benefit from the time he spends in India. He has got himself very physically fit. He is back to bowling and it is now a case of getting the volumes up so that when he is in a Test match and required to bowl 25 overs in an afternoon he can do that."

Though Panesar had a memorable summer, prompting Shane Warne last week to call him the best spinner in England, Giles's importance to England last summer cannot be forgotten. His ten wickets and vital lower-order batting - memorably hitting the winning runs in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge - were instrumental to England's success.

The first Ashes Test gets underway on November 23 at Brisbane.