He has been banned for cocaine use, no-balled for throwing, and ultimately kicked-out for five years for placing a bet on his county to lose a match (to be fair to him, it should be stressed that he was not playing in the game), but he always had a permanent twinkle in his eye: Giddins was as chequered and cheeky as they come.

At his best he generated sharp pace from a muscular action and, on helpful wickets, presented significant challenges for a batsman. He played one Test in 1999, and, in his second, the following summer, claimed 5-15 in the first innings and won the match award against Zimbabwe at Lord's.

Two unproductive Tests later he was dropped: on the flat wickets usually encountered in Test cricket, Giddins struggled for penetration (although his bowling average remained impressively low).

He had joined Warwickshire in 1998 after the drugs scandal cost him his job at Sussex and earned him an 18-month ban (Giddins raised money while serving his drugs ban by setting up a business selling Christmas trees with his team-mate Nadeem Shahid) but his form fell away after England ditched him in 2000, and he moved to Surrey, and then Hampshire, until his early retirement during the 2003 season.

His batting was in the sub-rabbit class: in his first Test he fought with Phil Tufnell and Alan Mullally for the No. 11 spot - and won. He was once nominated as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors, prepared for one summer with a trip up the Amazon, and even spent £10,000 of his own money one winter to try and improve his fitness and international chances. But, sadly, he will be remembered as much for his off-field activities as for his achievements on it.
Martin Williamson