Ashley Giles exclusive: My mother's illness added to Ashes turmoil

Ashley Giles has told of the hidden heartache he endured during his final days as managing director of the England team, revealing his mother had died shortly afterwards.

Giles, who lost his job five months ago following the 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, told Telegraph Sport’s Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast he had learnt his mother was “seriously ill” after returning home for Christmas mid-tour.

He said he was then forced to fly back to Australia early when one of Chris Silverwood’s family tested positive for coronavirus after England had lost the five-Test series with two matches to play, consigning the head coach to quarantine.

The eve of the fourth Test saw a visibly-emotional Giles lay bare the toll the Covid-19 crisis – and playing international cricket in “bubbles” – had taken on his players but he made no mention of his own personal turmoil.

Opening up about it for the first time, he said: “I was pretty drained by the situation by then and I think many of us were. And, was it emotional? Yeah. But I was probably tired as well. I’d been away for eight weeks before Christmas, I’d come home to find my mum was seriously ill. 

“I had nine days at home, was due to have 11, I think, and then flew out early because we had that Covid situation that affected all the coaches in Australia. And, so I found myself back on a plane on New Year’s Eve. And, so, all of that stuff together – just lost in an Ashes series – it was pretty emotional.

“Looking back on that, I could have come across as defensive, maybe. Maybe, I was a little bit. I was trying to defend our team and what we were doing. But, I think, many of the points I made, I would still make again right now, out of that position.”

Giles revealed his departure