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Durban Former Barbados and West Indies fast bowler and hard-hitting batsman Ottis Gibson will become the latest in a long line of West Indian imports when he turns out for South African provincial team, KwaZulu Natal, next season as their overseas professional. A report in the Natal Witness newspaper said Gibson had already agreed to a one- year contract with Natal and will arrive on September 21 from England, where he is playing in the Staffordshire League for Leek.

Gibson, 32, has played in South Africa for Border, Griqualand West and Gauteng, a season of scant reward with Gauteng during which the former powerhouses of South African cricket fell apart and finished at the bottom of the provincial pile.

Gibson was Gauteng's leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket, even though he only played in five of their eight SuperSport Series matches, taking 16 wickets at an average of 27 in addition to averaging 20 with the bat, and he appeared in all ten of Gauteng's Standard Bank Cup day/night games.

KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union chief executive officer Cassim Docrat confirmed that negotiations are quite advanced with Gibson and that the union were waiting for approval from the KZN Dolphins board and the United Cricket Board. But new coach Eldine Baptiste, the former Leeward Islands cricketer, made no bones about the fact he is planning on his Caribbean colleague being in the team when Natal start their season with a four-day friendly from September 24-27.

It's all but finalised, and he'll be arriving on September 21 to join us for our pre-season preparation.

© The Barbados Nation