Giles heaps the praise on Root

The Ashes-winning slow left-armer batted admirably at No 8 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.

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.

After just one winter in charge of his country’s limited-overs specialists, starting in India and concluded on Saturday with a rare ODI series victory in New Zealand, Giles’s next task will be to start fine-tuning selection and planning to take on the world.

It would be a fairytale outcome to break new ground for England, in front of his own Birmingham crowd, barely six months into his tenure.

But Giles knows the collective skills of his current personnel mean he may just have a golden opportunity to help rewrite English cricket history. “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.

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 finished with the Kiwis home and away.

Giles has to digest information gained here and in India before a preliminary Champions Trophy squad of 30 is picked in April and then a final 15 in May.

The signs are encouraging. From the new-ball bowling of James Anderson and Steven Finn to the emergence of Yorkshire’s Joe Root and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler in the middle order, and the return of Kevin Pietersen.

At some point, someone in a stable of regular top-six contributors will have to miss out to accommodate match-winner Pietersen. But Giles sees that as a further confidence boost to all rather than a complication. “We’ve got good strength in depth. We’ve got good problems.

“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.”

He will not be making hasty judgments – because he still has time on his side.

Root and Buttler 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.

“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.

“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.