Ashley Giles has admitted his attempts to get fit for the tour of India had left him 'knackered' but vowed to join his England team-mates on the subcontinent if possible.

Giles, 32, was has been ruled out of joining his team-mates on the flight to Mumbai this Sunday, having failed to recover from hip surgery as quickly as hoped.

England's premier spinner underwent the knife on December 7 in a bid to be fit for the nine-week tour of India but could not meet the time schedule to regain fitness.

''England need a fit Ashley Giles, rather than a 60 per cent fit Ashley Giles, to bowl for them,'' said Giles, who has been replaced in the 16-man party by Somerset's Ian Blackwell.

''We have done everything in our powers. Quite honestly I am knackered.

''We have been working every hour we have been sent to get me on that plane. Maybe we pushed too soon? Who knows?''

Giles' recovery was interrupted after reacting badly to five and ten-minute workouts on the gym treadmill.

''We tried to run a couple of weeks ago and the hip didn't like it,'' said Giles. ''The body has a way of telling you it is not ready.

''We knew then we were struggling. The timeline was quite fine, originally they said three months but perhaps quicker if everything went swimmingly.''

That hopeful estimate was not aided by the damage in the joint - which curtailed the Warwickshire left-armer's participation in Pakistan after two Tests - being worse than originally diagnosed.

''We thought the problem was just a bit of tear in the cartilage, a bit of an MOT repair and a bit of a clearout.

''But when the surgeon went in there was more there than we expected, there was a bit of arthritis,'' said Giles, who underwent a course of microfracturing, whereby holes are drilled to encourage new cartilage to grow.

With repercussions from over-eagerness extremely serious, Giles is taking a precautionary view on returning to action.

''That process actually takes quite a while; if you push it too quickly you can go backwards,'' he added. ''In ten years' time I certainly don't want to be in theatre having a hip replacement.

''Now I am not going to India on Sunday we can structure this a little bit better to get me running again at the right time and not push too soon.

''It is a very difficult balance to strike: when do I run? When do I bowl?

''We just need to be a bit careful now and the door is still open for me to go on the tour at some point.

''I am confident that once I can start moving properly and bowling I can be fit pretty sharply.

''So if I get to a point where I am pain-free I might be able to move very quickly. I am desperate to play for England but it is better if I am fit, looking at the long-term schedule for the next year or so and for my personal health in the years beyond that.''

The England management were keen for Giles to prove his fitness because of the control he exerts in quiet periods of play, no better emphasised than on the last tour of India in 2001-02. And his all-round contribution to the side should not be overlooked.

Despite averaging only two wickets per Test in his last 14 appearances, he also strengthens the lower order with his batting ability and provides a safe pair of hands in the gully.

Without him, England travel with three spinners - Shaun Udal, Monty Panesar and Ian Blackwell - with as many Test caps and wickets between them.

''It will be tough for them,'' conceded Giles. ''Although the wickets turn you bowl a lot of overs and India are exceptional players of spin bowling, particularly on pitches they have been brought up on.

''As well as that they are close to being the best batting side in the world.''

* English grass-roots cricket will receive a major investment over the next three years from lottery funding through Sport England.

The England and Wales Cricket Board are to be allotted more than £3.5m-a-year from April to March 2009 to be channelled into the objectives in its Building Partnerships business plan.

Sport England has urged the ECB to modernise its governance and management structure before committing to future funding, something the governing body revamped last year.

Roger Draper, chief executive of Sport England, said: ''Cricket is currently on a huge high following last summer's Ashes successes and has a fantastic opportunity to capitalise and build on unprecedented levels of public popularity. The £10.7m we are investing in the sport over the next three years will contribute towards achieving the goals we share with the ECB of getting more people from all backgrounds involved in the game.''

ECB chief executive David Collier added: ''It has been ECB's desire for a number of years to move towards a multi-year commitment of public funding so our clubs and countys can provide sustainable programmes.

More than £103m of lottery funds have been invested in cricket since 1994