Giles threatens legal action over conflict claims

Ashley Giles has threatened to take legal action over comments that there is a conflict of interest between his roles as Warwickshire's director of cricket and an England selector.

"I have never used my position as an England selector to tell players that their prospects of playing international cricket will be enhanced if they join Warwickshire," Giles told the Daily Telegraph. "I have done everything above board. I have spoken to Hugh Morris, the managing director of England Cricket, and believe that I have his full support and I hope that will continue.

"But if people start making statements about me they should be careful. If I feel their claims are ruining my reputation and becoming defamatory then I shall seek legal advice."

Derbyshire have become the latest county to complain about the influence Giles can have when he is searching for new players because of his England role.

"Along with several other counties, we feel there is a definite conflict of interest," Tom Sears, Derbyshire's outgoing chief executive told the Birmingham Post. "It is not appropriate that Ashley Giles is a national selector and a county's director of cricket.

"Hugh Morris said he would look into it. We weren't the first county to raise our concerns and we won't be the last. Middlesex, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire all share our views."

However, the only major player who has agreed to join Warwickshire is Rikki Clarke, after leaving Derbyshire with a month of the season remaining. The club did make official 28-day approaches to a number of other players, including Gloucestershire's Alex Gidman, but nothing has come of them.