It will be a surreal moment at Edgbaston for Ashley Giles today.

Giles is as synonymous with England as he was with Warwickshire, the county he spent 14 years as a player with and who he resides over as director of cricket.

The former left-arm orthodox spin bowler played in 54 Tests, was a 2005 Ashes hero and remains a part-time selector.

So when his county lines up against his country to contest a three-day, pre-Ashes warm-up this morning, Giles will be forgiven for feeling a little funny.

“It has been strange,” Giles said. “Seeing some familiar faces turn up and you have the players from Warwickshire training on one side and the England boys training on the other. Plus, with me being a selector, it will be a bit odd.

“It’s also been quite exciting. Now I’m working on the county circuit when you see all of the media and attention around the place and the England caravan, it’s as close to Test cricket as I was as a player.

“It will be interesting to see how the (Warwickshire) boys get on in terms of statistics and records because England should do very well against us. It will be intriguing and a good challenge.”

While he may have had and, to a certain degree, still does, have a foot in both camps, there’s no doubt as to where Giles’ loyalties will lie for the next three days. In the build-up to this fixture, Giles has insisted that he intended to field his strongest-possible Warwickshire side in order to give England a stern test ahead of the start of their hotly-anticipated showdown with Australia later this month.

It will also be a chance for Giles’ squad to prove that they, too, are worthy of joining their fellow Bear, Ian Bell, in the international shake-up.

“It’s not just about them (England). It’s a great test and a great exhibition for the Warwickshire guys,” Giles added. “We are playing against the best side in England and it is a good chance for our boys to pit their wits against better players. We’ve got a couple of young guys in the side and for some others it will be a chance to put themselves in the shop window for an opportunity with England.

“The media focus has arrived in Ashes style. We all want to see England regain the Ashes so we want to put on the best possible test. It’s only three days so if both sides play well it will be difficult to get a set result, so it will be more about individual performances.”

Teenager Ateeq Javid is likely to bat at either five or six for the Bears in only his second first-class appearance for the county that has nurtured him through their academy. All-rounder Neil Carter is rested following his recent hectic schedule while pacemen Chris Woakes and Boyd Rankin, both of whom missed out on the recent winning charge to the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals, play.