"The King of Spain is no mug" proclaimed the headlines after last summer`s Edgbaston Test, a reminder that to some Giles will always be a figure of fun rather than a respected performer; he had just taken nine wickets for the second consecutive Test.

Perhaps still best known for that infamous typo in the Edgbaston shop and radio commentator Henry Bloefeld's observation that he closely resembles a wheelie bin, the Warwickshire left-armer is a player who deserves more, not least from those supposedly on his side.

Having started out with Surrey as a seamer, Giles moved to the Midlands in 1992 where he was converted into a slow bowler by the Bears` brilliant coach and captain duo of Bob Woolmer and Dermot Reeve.

He played a valuable role in the club's myriad mid-1990s successes, a reliable and consistent bowler if a less than prodigious turner of the ball who, as befits a pupil of Woolmer and Reeve, has worked hard to maximise his contributions as a batsman and fielder.

Initially viewed as another in a long line of unsatisfactory solutions to England's spinning conundrum, Giles has fought off competition from a string of rivals including Graeme Swann, Ian Salisbury, Richard Dawson and Chris Schofield during a mixed international career.

The ability to shake off Schofield and co can hardly be considered the pinnacle of sporting achievement but the 32-year-old's record also comfortably eclipses that of Phil Tufnell, the last regular spinner in the England team and a man viewed by some as possessing world-class talent.

Nasser Hussain's employment of Giles over the wicket with a line outside leg stump to neutralise Sachin Tendulkar means that his name will be forever linked to a best-forgotten episode in English cricket history, a time when the line protecting the spirit of the game was irrecoverably crossed.

And, by Giles' own admission, as recently as 18 months ago his self-esteem was so low as to make him consider quitting international cricket.

The support of Michael Vaughan, captain and friend, has helped rebuild that shattered confidence, a rehabilitation process helped by major contributions to England's stunning 2004.

Those performances clinched a place among Wisden's five cricketers of the year and only fantasists still expecting a world-class wrist spinner from the county circuit would deny his automatic selection for the hosts this summer.

Few might expect to see armies of fans dressed as King Juan Carlos I at Ashes Test venues, but too few once believed Giles good enough to be there either.

As one of only nine Englishman to take 100 wickets and score 1000 runs in Tests, it is a preconception he is more than capable of changing.