Ex-Proteas opener Gibbs was a loner, claims Coach Arthur

MELBOURNE - Former South African cricket team coach Mickey Arthur has described opener Herschelle Gibbs as somewhat of a loner after he criticised the power set-up under him.

Reacting to comments in Gibbs controversial autobiography that said current South African captain Graeme Smith was afforded too much power under Arthur’s successful reign from 2005-2010, The Age quoted Arthur as saying that Gibbs, 36, had little idea what was going on around him.

“For the last three years of my time, Herschelle was in and out of the side, he wasn’t there for most of the time,” said Arthur, who is now coach of Western Australia. I hope he hasn’t burnt too many bridges,” Arthur said.

“He wouldn’t know the conversations that Graeme and I had in private, he had no idea on the handle of relationships between the management and the players because he wasn’t privy to any of that. Hersch was trying to salvage a career towards the back end so he was trying anything,” he added.

“Hersch was a little bit of a loner, he sort of hung by himself, he never really mixed too freely with the rest of the group,” Arthur said.

Gibbs, who battled alcohol addiction throughout his career and had a stint in rehabilitation, hasn’t played a Test match for almost three years, although he has featured in one-dayers and Twenty20 internationals this year. (ANI)