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Herschelle Gibbs: The Exotic Explosive Executor |
A Special Feature on
Herschelle Gibbs by Karthik Narayan
The first few words that come to mind
whenever we talk about Herschelle Gibbs are
“Dynamic & Hyperactive”. Such as the butterfly
stroke is the most beautiful swimming stroke,
watching Herschelle Gibbs on the cricket field
is one of the most wonderful sights of modern
day cricket! Herschelle Gibbs in motion is like
watching the butterfly fluttering in fast action
mode! He is ever so brisk, energetic and active
and his bustling character is purely evident
whenever we see him on the field with the bat
and without.
South African opening order had never seen
such a dashing smashing cricketer in all of the
last decade, this is one Spiky Batsman who loves
to break the back of every bowler he bats
against.
With tremendous talent and super confidence
within him, only the best comes from this
cricketer at all times, be it with his right
hand that throws the ball accurately at the
stumps, or when he bats right handed! He started
off his career in not the fashion that we
associate with him today. His debut wasn’t great
at all, against India in India, in the Kolkata
Test, where Lance Klusener spat fire with the
zest of a typical South African. After a
whimper, and some jolts in the form of the match
fixing incidents, he slumped in his career, and
it sounded like it would be all over. But then,
life turns around for everyone, and Gibbs was
acquitted from all charges and life became rosy
again. He got his chance to play again after
great performances in the domestic scene.
Maybe initially, he wasn’t ready for the
higher-end version of cricket, but slowly as he
grew in with confidence and with matches under
his belt, his strokes bloomed one by one and
soon he became a solid middle order batsman for
South Africa. With the older genre slowly fading
out, his position in the team became permanent
and his batting improved by leaps and bounds.
As an opening batsman for South Africa,
Herschelle Gibbs is a very hard hitting, quick
scoring batsman. He is capable of destroying any
bowler in the world. His contribution at the top
of the order has given South Africa
comprehensive wins. Herschelle Herman Gibbs
stands out for South Africa as their best
opening batsman, ever since Gary Kirsten stepped
down the batting order in 2002-03.
His approach to batting is very simple – with
sound technique, he backs himself to play all
strokes with élan and class. His wagon wheel
shall have shots with a 360-degree framework! He
can play all kinds of strokes, ranging from an
elegant cover drive to jotting down the track to
play lofted shots. He did have some difficulty
against spin, but he has practiced well enough
to strangle any bowler on sight. Ever since his
first century in test matches, which was also a
double ton – always something unique, he has
scored many a run at nearly a run a ball without
taking any risk. He is ever the extraordinary
batsman playing espresso cricket all the time!
Playing positive cricket in the mould of the
awesome Aussies, Gibbs hasn’t had the need to
learn how to plonk and plod the bat defensively
against any bowler in his life. In his entire
career, his career has never taken a plunge
except when he has thrown away his wicket with a
rash stroke. Gibbs comes across as a batsman who
is undoubtedly unbreakable or who cannot be
shattered by any bowler on earth. It is his own
self that dislodges his wicket.
In just his third ODI, he played a staggering
knock of 84 in the LG Cup Finals against India
in 1999-00 at Nairobi. And then, he has been
consistent in both tests and ODIs as an exciting
opening batsman. He possesses good technique
with a correct attitude. With 14 centuries
apiece in both Tests and One-Day cricket, Gibbs
has made the openers slot his own. He has two
double tons (and a nearly third 196) in his 14
test tons, and his average is 48 in tests and
34.79 in ODIs. Add to that his 5000 plus runs in
both tests and ODIs and it all figures out to be
top draw.
A dynamo on the field, his gravity defying
and heart stopping run saves come from extreme
hard work and comparisons of him with Jonty
Rhodes and Ricky Ponting does not provide any
great surprises. With all his great reputation
for plucking catches from thin air, he is and
will be always be talked about for spilling a
catch in a crucial match in the 1999 world cup
against Australia. For many, that was the
turning point of that edition of that world cup.
It is dubbed as “Gibbs dropped the world cup”.
Maybe that one off day, but otherwise, Gibbs is
a tidy customer on the field, and always
reliable at backward point.
His batting along with his fielding has won
matches for South Africa in the past, and still
marches on to do so. We at Cricketfundas.com
wish him all the very best with a bright future
ahead. With just halfway into greatness, Gibbs
has much more left in the years to come and
surely the stars have been shining brighter with
every passing match for this streaky superstar
of South African Cricket.
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