South Africa’s plans for growing the Test team will be severely disrupted if the two-match ban for Herschelle Gibbs is upheld, Proteas coach Mickey Arthur said on Wednesday.
”Herschelle is very much part of our plans, and he is beginning to find some good form again,” said Arthur.
South Africa will not know until Thursday whether International Cricket Council (ICC) appeals commissioner Richie Benaud will uphold Gibbs’s two-Test ban for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.
Gibbs was sentenced to a two-Test ban after he made abusive and derogatory remarks about Pakistan supporters during the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion earlier this month.
Arthur said Gibbs’s appeal, which was conducted by teleconference, lasted about two hours. He said he did not know the details of what was said, but that Gibbs had found it tougher than he had expected.
The Proteas coach confirmed that Boeta Dippenaar had been called up to join the team for their last Test against Pakistan, starting at Newlands on Friday.
”Boeta will open with Graeme Smith,” said Arthur. ”If Herschelle is banned, AB [de Villiers] will bat at number six. If Herschelle is allowed to play, AB will sit this one out.”
De Villiers has been experiencing a run of poor form recently.
”He started off beautifully, and had the world at his feet,” said Arthur.
”But recently, he’s been having some problems, and it’s beginning to affect him mentally.
”We realise he has some technical flaws, but during a Test series is not the time to fix those. We are working with him, but what’s important is that we need to build up his confidence. He is a very important part of our one-day team.”
Arthur said a decision on whether to rest one of South Africa’s senior bowlers, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, will be taken after the team’s practice on Thursday.
”I would be very reluctant to go into such an important Test without them,” he said.
”They are very tired, but we’ll make that call tomorrow [Thursday]. Andre Nel will definitely sit this one out — being such a big man, he finds the back-to-back Tests take a lot out of him, and his bruised heel was troubling him in Port Elizabeth. He was always going to miss either Port Elizabeth or Cape Town,” said Arthur.
”Fortunately Dale Steyn is 100% fit, and will replace Andre. Dale is raring to go, and he always does such a good job at mopping up the tail.” — Sapa