Giles eyes summer success
Ashley Giles is hoping England can this summer help him go one better as a coach than he managed as a player.
The Ashes-winning slow left-armer batted admirably at number eight in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval in 2004, to help Marcus Trescothick set West Indies a target of 217.
But then he was never called upon to bowl and could only watch as what seemed certain victory - one that would have been England's first in a major International Cricket Council tournament - ebbed away into the September gloom.
England are still without a 50-over global trophy nine years later.
But all that could change when they host the same competition again, this time with Giles as their new limited-overs coach.
Ashley Giles is excited by the prospect of leading England to a trophy he almost claimed as a player. "Wouldn't it be great, to go to Edgbaston for the final of the Champions Trophy," said the limited-overs head coach
It would be gloriously fitting for Surrey-born Giles if - after being denied on one home ground - he could set the record straight on even more familiar territory in an Edgbaston final at the end of June.
He spent his entire first-class career with Warwickshire, before proving himself there too as a coach by helping his adopted county to last year's championship title.
"Wouldn't it be great, to go to Edgbaston for the final of the Champions Trophy?" he asked.
"I played in one, and we lost to the West Indies."
As the 39-year-old returns home, via a stop-off in Sydney with the England Lions, team director Andy Flower takes over in New Zealand to step up preparations for a three-match Test series starting in Dunedin next week.
England's focus will move on quickly therefore, especially with back-to-back Ashes series in the next 12 months once Alastair Cook's team have done with the Kiwis home and away.
For Giles, the brief is to digest the information gained here and in India before first of all a preliminary Champions Trophy squad of 30 is picked in April and then a final 15 in May.
"It's an opportunity for us, because I do believe we've got a good squad," added Giles.
"In England, with this team, we've got a chance to do well.
"When I get home, I have a little break. But then we start thinking about how we go about winning that Champions Trophy."
England must decide who to leave out in order to accommodate the return of Kevin Pietersen. "Those are good problems to have," added Giles
Kevin Pietersen was rested for the New Zealand ODIs - and it is not yet clear who will make way for his return after Joe Root, seemingly the most likely to drop out prior to the tour, further enhanced his reputation with a string of impressive performances.
"We've got good strength in depth. We've got good problems,” added Giles.
"Any time you're concerned about fitting six into five in selection, those are good problems to have.
"Kevin Pietersen is a world-class player. Any side is going to be better with him in it. It's going to be a tough decision, whichever way we go."
Giles will not be making hasty judgments - because he still has time on his side.
"We've got some thoughts in mind as we plan towards the Champions Trophy," he said.
"Nothing is set in stone, but we have some very good options.
"Planning-wise, we're early stages. In terms of squad, I can't see any huge surprises. But it will still be difficult whittling down a group to 15."
Root and Jos Buttler appear to have been the big winners over the past two months, the former yet to be dismissed under 30 after seven ODI innings and the latter tidy behind the stumps and full of power-packed potential in front of them.
"Joe's development over the last six months has been extraordinary," said Giles.
"We knew he had something, and you see the evidence (of that) in his character. But to have had the success he's had is different.
"He's very grounded; he'll keep his wits about him and just keep working hard.
"I've been very impressed with him and Jos has made big strides as well, I think.
"His wicketkeeping has come on leaps and bounds, and he's made very few mistakes on the tour."
For them, and Giles, 2013 could just be a year to remember.
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