Wisden overview
Summoned from the school classroom as a 16-year-old to make his first-class debut in 1990, Herschelle Gibbs's feet moved beautifully at the crease but struggled to find the ground in real life. Admitting that a Test debut in front of 70,000 at Eden Gardens wasn't as nerve-wracking as sitting his final exams, as well as the fact that he reads little outside of magazines and comics, contributed to a reputation for simplicity. In fact, Gibbs can be a warm and generous person. His passion for one-liners and verbal jousting continues to hamper his advancement as a serious professional, and his brush with career death in the Cronje match-fixing scandal added to the impression of a man who had failed to grasp the magnitude of his impact on the nation's youth. A life-skills programme with the former Springbok rugby legend Morne du Plessis during the 2001 off-season was designed to address the matter. At the crease, however, Gibbs can be invincible. There is no shot beyond his compass, while Test-match opening has not tempered his desire for explosive entertainment. The speed of his hands is hypnotic, frequently allowing him to hook off the front foot and keep out surprise lifters. His trademark is the lofted extra-cover drive, hit inside-out with the certainty of a square cut. Sporting comparisons can be odious, but in the field - at backward point - he really is the next Jonty Rhodes. Neil Manthorp

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