Man whose substance was greater than his spin

Ashley Giles' retirement from cricket was announced during the first day of the Oval Test, almost two years since his efforts on the same ground helped England to win the 2005 Ashes. That match turned out to be his final Test appearance, but in the opinion of Simon Barnes in The Times, Giles is gone but should never be forgotten.

The great thing about Giles is that he became the best cricketer he possibly could have been. He fulfilled the talents he had to their uttermost degree, and how many geniuses can you say that about? He made the most of what he had and no man should be despised for that. It’s what we all try to do, whether we are Picasso or a painter and decorator.