Back from the Wilderness

Ed Giddins had the world at his feet. He made an immediate impression as a fast bowler for his native Sussex that earned him a place on the England A tour to Pakistan and brought him close to full Test honours. Then it all went wrong. Giddins failed a drugs test after a Sunday league match and was suspended from the game for a year. To make matters worse, Sussex turned their back on him and showed him the door. Now, on his return to first-class cricket with an exciting Warwickshire side led by Brian Lara, Giddins is telling his story for the first time. He recalls his dismissal from Sussex, the wise-cracks and on-field clashes with team-mates while awaiting "trial", and how he coped when the only living he knew was taken away from him. The contemplation of retirement; the soul-searching; the decision to swallow his pride and play club cricket on the lowest rung of the ladder, for Bromley in the Kent League. This is the story of his career.