Calcutta: South Africa’s cricket body, Cricket South Africa (CSA), insisted on Sunday that Herschelle Gibbs was still eligible for the Proteas, despite the release of his controversial autobiography and the termination of his national team contract.
CSA attempted to clarify Gibbs’ position with Sunday’s statement — the second in three days — which said both parties had agreed to end the 36-year-old batsman’s deal.
He is still available for South Africa, CSA said, and the move to end the contract came “following amicable discussions” and was “in the best interests of South African cricket.”
But it’s unlikely the entertaining opener, who last played for South Africa in February, will again represent his country. CSA announced Friday it had decided to cancel Gibbs’s contract, which was then agreed to by Gibbs, but apologised to the player three days later for what it called a premature and inaccurate media release. The decision was reached by both sides, CSA explained.
“It has been agreed that this is the best way forward for both parties,” CSA’s chief executive Gerald Majola said Sunday. “On behalf of CSA I would like to wish Herschelle all the best for his future and to thank him for the contribution he has made to the successes of the Proteas.”
Gibbs said “I’d like to thank CSA, my teammates and especially the public for the unbelievable support over the years. The fans have been incredible and they all rock.”
Gibbs has not announced his retirement from all international cricket — he had already given up Test cricket — and CSA insisted he could still be picked. Even so, it’s almost certainly the end of a 14-year roller-coaster career with South Africa for Gibbs — who mixed brilliance on the field with controversy and scandal off it.
Cricket South Africa said it had now given Gibbs permission to play in a Twenty20 competition in New Zealand this month, and he has been linked with T20 events in West Indies and Australia.
“I look forward to entertaining everyone on the world stage,” Gibbs said in Sunday’s statement, but did not give details. He has said his last remaining ambition is to win the World Cup, but he’s unlikely to be selected for his fourth tournament early next year.
