Name:

Gibbs, Herschelle H

Date of Birth:

23 Feb 1974

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Career:

Test: 1996 - 2008
ODI: 1996 - 2010
T20: 2005 - 2010

Teams:

South Africa (Country)

England level series as Stewart retires: 5th Test (Oval)

Herschelle Gibbs: Explosive opener tainted by match fixing 

Herschelle Gibbs (born 23 February 1974, Cape Town) was one of South Africa’s most explosive right-handed opening batsmen of the modern era. He made his international debut in 1996 and went on to play 90 Tests, scoring 6,167 runs at an average of 41.95, including 14 centuries and a highest score of 228. Elegant yet aggressive, Gibbs combined classical strokeplay with the ability to dominate bowling attacks.

In One Day Internationals, Gibbs was a central figure for South Africa across 248 matches, compiling 8,094 runs at 36.13, with 21 centuries and a top score of 175. That 175 came in the famous 2006 Johannesburg ODI against Australia, when South Africa chased down 434 — still regarded as one of the greatest ODI innings ever played. He also became the first player in ODI history to hit six sixes in an over, achieving the feat against the Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup.

Gibbs additionally played 23 T20 Internationals, scoring 400 runs, and was widely regarded as one of the finest fielders of his generation, notably taking a record-equalling six catches in a Test innings in 1999. Across formats, he finished his international career with more than 14,600 runs for South Africa before retiring in 2010.

However, his career was also marked by controversy. In 2000, Gibbs admitted to accepting money from captain Hansie Cronje during the match-fixing scandal that rocked South African cricket. Although he did not ultimately alter his performance in the implicated match, he was banned for six months and received a suspended two-year sentence. The episode damaged his reputation but he returned to international cricket and remained a key figure in the South African side for the next decade.