Gibbs must score to stay in the game

Over the past year or so the game of cricket has said goodbye to many fine international players, the bulk of them coming from Australia, but also a few from the currently resurgent Indian team.

Stars such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and now Matthew Hayden have departed, while among the Indians Sourav Ganguly, the so-called Prince of Kolkata, hung up his bat and the amazing skills of leg-spinner Anil Kumble will be seen no more.

Which brings us to the current series between Australia and South Africa and more specifically the third ODI tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

With the series tantalisingly poised at one match each, the Sydney showdown is all important as the two sides, who have been evenly matched through the Test series and now the limited overs game, fight hard for the ascendancy.

And talking about retirements, it occurred to me that we could be seeing the beginning of the end of one of South Africa's finest opening batsmen and fielders.

Herschelle Gibbs will go out tomorrow morning SA time knowing that another failure will have the critics calling for his head and some of the selectors no doubt wondering when he is going to come right.

The 34-year-old, who lost his Test place to Neil McKenzie, is under huge pressure to perform tomorrow and in the remaining ODI games.

Gibbs made 22 in the three-wicket win at Melbourne and then made only 19 in Hobart.

He has not made a century since his 102 against the West Indies last year and since then has averaged 24.41 in 12 innings.

Paltry

These are paltry returns for a man who has played in 90 Tests and scored 6 167 runs at an average of 41.95. In the ODI arena Gibbs averages 36.11 from 235 games.

Gibbs's Test record is not bad but it is generally regarded in cricket circles that the great batsmen should average at least 50 at or towards the end of their careers, something Graeme Smith has done quite comfortably with at least five or more years ahead of him still as captain.

Of course Gibbs has always been the mercurial one, the kind of player that makes fans want to pitch up at the ground.

Then he either delights with a dazzling array of strokemaking, or infuriates by chopping one onto his stumps, or gets out being caught behind chasing a ball that should be left alone.

Gibbs, too, has not been helped by his personal demons and a stint in rehab before the Australia tour must have been a sobering moment in his life. Add to that a pending drunk-driving charge, a highly publicised divorce, and it's easy to see why his mind and dedication may have wavered along with the confidence levels on the decline.

So the next few weeks are crucial to the future of Herschelle Herman Gibbs, who first made his Test debut in November 1996 and his ODI debut against Kenya the same year.

As I said, this has been a period of players retiring when they get to their middle or late 30s.

Don't be surprised if Gibbs jumps before he is pushed.

Either way, it will be the end of an era that has never lacked excitement or controversy.