Herschelle Gibbs to replace injured Jacques Kallis

South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs has been confirmed as Jacques Kallis' replacement for the remainder of the ODI series against England. Kallis fractured his rib during last month's Champions Twenty20 League in India and is also doubtful for the opening Test in Centurion on December 16. Kallis played the second Twenty20 international in Centurion and scored 7, but did not bowl.

Gibbs will join the squad in Cape Town on Wednesday, ahead of the third ODI which starts two days later. He last played for South Africa during the Champions Trophy in September but failed to make the squad for the limited-overs games against Zimbabwe and England. He also had a forgettable outing in the Champions League in India, scoring just 43 runs in four games for the Cape Cobras. He scored 42 of those in the semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago, but prior to that he had recorded two first-ball ducks.

However, he was in good form for the Cobras in the MTN 40-over competition at home, scoring 163 runs in four games. He was given a lifeline by the selectors when he was picked for the A squad to play England in Potchefstroom last week, where he scored 24. With Kallis on the sidelines, Gibbs will have a second chance at regaining his spot.

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Gibbs Added To South Africa 'A' Squad

Batsman Herschelle Gibbs has been added to South Africa's 'A' squad to take on England in a tour match ahead of the five-match One-Day International series.

Gibbs, a veteran of 245 ODIs, as well as 90 Tests and 20 Twenty20 Internationals, is one of three additions to the squad which has been hit by injury. The match is in Potchefstroom on Tuesday (17th November).

Omitted from the squad are Henry Davids, who has a thumb injury, Robin Peterson, who is expected to sign a Kolpak contract imminently and Ryan McLaren, whose workload is being managed.

Gibbs is joined in the squad by Nashua Cape Cobras team-mates Andrew Puttick and Rory Kleinveldt.

“Herschelle has shown excellent form in recent MTN40 matches and this match will give him a further opportunity to press his case for an international recall,” selection convener Mike Procter said.

"He is showing the consistency we want from him and his last innings was a match-winning century. The door is not closed to him or indeed to anybody else who produces the goods in domestic cricket.

“Both Puttick and Kleinveldt impressed for the Nashua Cape Cobras in the Champions’ League competition.”

South Africa 'A': Hashim Amla (captain), CJ de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Heino Kuhn, Morne Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Rilee Rossouw, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld

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Gibbs offered international lifeline

Herschelle Gibbs has been offered an unexpected chance to push for an international recall after he was drafted into the South Africa A squad to face England, at Potchefstroom, on Tuesday.

He was one of three changes to the original group with Gibbs' Cape Cobras team-mates Andrew Puttick, who hit a century in the Champions League, and seamer Rory Kleinveldt also added. Henry Davids, the opener, has dropped out with a broken thumb and left-arm spinner Robin Petersen has been deselected after indicating to Cricket South Africa that he will be taking up a Kolpak contract with Derbyshire.

The selectors have also decided to remove Ryan McLaren because he is likely to have played both Twenty20 internationals and could also be needed as a replacement for the injured Wayne Parnell in the first ODI next Friday.

For Gibbs, though, this is an opportunity to earn perhaps a final crack at the top level after he was dropped from the one-day and Twenty20 squads to face England. He has responded with 163 runs in three domestic 40-over innings including an unbeaten 102.

"Herschelle has shown excellent form in recent MTN40 matches," said convener of selectors Mike Procter, "and this match will give him a further opportunity to press his case for an international recall. He is showing the consistency we want from him and his last innings was a match-winning century.

"The door is not closed to him or indeed to anybody else who produces the goods in domestic cricket. Both Puttick and Kleinveldt impressed for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League competition."

When the A-team squad was first named three weeks ago Procter's comments suggested the selectors had finally moved on from Gibbs ahead of the next World Cup although did add that domestic form could change the situation.

"We have lost patience with his inconsistency and I had a chat with him this morning and we agreed that he has been inconsistent," he said. "We have to keep 2011 [the World Cup] in mind and we need to spread our wings a bit…He is 35, but he is fit and he is a huge talent and if he makes a mountain of runs and is batting consistently then things change."

The strong South Africa A squad is led by Hashim Amla and also includes Morne Morkel. Last week England lost their Twenty20 warm-up to a similar set of A-team players by four wickets after being bowled out for 89.

Revised squad Hashim Amla (capt), CJ de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Heino Kuhn, Morne Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Rilee Rossouw, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld

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We lost patience with Gibbs - Procter

Mike Procter, South Africa's convener of selectors, has backed opener Herschelle Gibbs to bounce back after being dropped from the ODI and Twenty20 squads to face Zimbabwe and England at home next month. Procter explained that Gibbs' inconsistency had cost him his place and added that his omission will leave the door open for experimentation at the top of the order.

Gibbs failed to get going for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League Twenty20 in India, scoring just 43 runs in four games. He scored 42 of those in the semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago but prior to that, recorded two first-ball ducks.

"We have lost patience with his inconsistency and I had a chat with him this morning and we agreed that he has been inconsistent," Procter told Supercricket. "We have to keep 2011 [the World Cup] in mind and we need to spread our wings a bit. But the door is not closed for Herschelle, although it will be tough for him. He is 35, but he is fit and he is a huge talent and if he makes a mountain of runs and is batting consistently then things change."

Procter said the team management had discussed the possibility of Jacques Kallis opening the batting with captain Graeme Smith, instead of Lions opening batsman Alviro Petersen, who was recalled to the squad. However, Procter added that the batting order was still flexible.

"Mickey Arthur (the coach) and Graeme [Smith] want Jacques to open and AB [de Villiers] will then move up to three and JP Duminy to four," Procter said. "We're looking at Alviro at five. We know it's out of position, but we believe he can adapt and he has been a prolific run-scorer in the last couple of seasons.

"But we have so many options. Hashim Amla or Alviro could open if the Smith-Kallis partnership does not work and we're also looking to take pressure off Albie Morkel in terms of his bowling. We'd like to take the responsibility of bowling ten overs off his shoulders and he can make up for it with the bat. We'd like to play him at six and use him as more of a pure batsman."

Charl Langeveldt also earned a recall after relinquishing his Kolpak status and Procter praised the fast bowler for making himself available for national selection. The uncapped allrounder Ryan McLaren, a proven performer with Kent, too dropped his Kolpak status and was named in the squads.

"We're absolutely thrilled to be able to choose Charl again," Procter said. "He bowls very well at the death and he's able to get both late and reverse swing."

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Cobras keep faith in Gibbs

If you had blinked at the start of the Cape Cobras innings in the Champions League so far, you were likely to miss Herschelle Gibbs. His appearances have been fleeting - he's scored 0, 1 and 0 - but both the Trinidad & Tobago and Cape Cobras captains, and the batsman himself, were aware of Gibbs' game-breaking potential in Thursday's semi-final in Hyderabad.

Gibbs had opted out of the Cobras' game against Victoria in Bangalore after a security alert at the Chinnaswamy Stadium postponed the start of the game by 100 minutes. He did not leave the team hotel for personal security but appeared to be in brighter spirits today and was optimistic of having an impact in the semi-final.

"I have just been unlucky. I just tend to hit the ball from ball one," Gibbs said. "I like the semi-finals and finals irrespective of what tournament I'm playing. I just like the big moments and that brings the best out of me. It is going to be a good wicket and hopefully I can entertain the home crowd."

Gibbs, incidentally, is one of the major reasons the Cobras are playing the tournament as South African champions. He blasted 87 off 62 balls in the Pro20 final against the Eagles, more than half of his team's total of 147. His captain, Andrew Puttick, hoped that his best batsman could reproduce something similar. "Herschelle is in bit of poor run, but we know if it is his day know he can win us the game," Puttick said.

Gibbs, however, has had a low-key season so far and had an unproductive ICC World Twenty20 as well, scoring only 114 runs in six matches. He also had a poor run at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the home ground for his IPL team, the Deccan Chargers. In four innings there during the 2008 IPL, Gibbs made only 67 runs, with a top-score of 47. The Cobras will be hoping for a dramatic turnaround tomorrow.

"We know the quality of Herschelle," Ganga said on the eve of the game against the Cape Cobras. "He has not been on song in recent games but in an important match he might come good, and we are prepared for that."

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