Now Gibbs may face legal action from South African players

Thu, Nov 04 10 05:22 PM

Johannesburg, Nov 4 (PTI) After facing legal action from Cricket South Africa, opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs may now face the wrath of fellow players for his sensational revelations in his controversial autobiography ''To The Point''. Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricket Players'' Association, told the Afrikaans daily Beeld that Gibbs could get into further trouble for his allegations against fellow cricketers. "I have already spoken to Majola and there is a process which must now run its course," Irish said. "Herschelle is still a contracted player and that is why it is also important to look at what he says in his interviews about the book," he added. The CSA yesterday announced that it had sought legal advice on the book and also issued a warning to players to decline from making comments. "CSA has tasked its Legal Counsel to look into the matter and to advise us accordingly. Everybody concerned (including players) needs to wait for the outcome of CSA''s processes which will be announced as soon as the Board has taken a view or a decision on the matter," CSA chief executive Gerald Majola had said in a statement. "Before this happens and the CSA Board has taken a decision, all stakeholders should avoid expressing views that includes the players. "I have not read the book and cannot comment on what is reported in the press," Majola said. Gibbs made some damning statements in his book about sex orgies with fellow team members, as well as drug and alcohol abuse during tours. He also claimed that captain Graeme Smith, all-rounder Jacques Kallis, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and A B de Villiers were controlling the team, causing division among members of the side. Smith publicly acknowledged from Dubai, where the South Africans are playing against Pakistan, that the team was "hurt" by Gibbs'' revelations. Kallis said he would welcome any action by CSA, with Gibbs confirming that his former teammates were upset to varying degrees. "I understand Kallis is reasonably upset and that he would welcome any action against me by CSA," Gibbs told Beeld. "Fortunately Boucher is not too angry. He has been through the book already and reckons it is not as serious as the media have made it out to be." Former teammate Daryll Cullinan reacted angrily with a column in a local newspaper, rejecting suggestions in the book by Gibbs that he had split the beans on a marijuana-smoking session led by Gibbs during a West Indies tour. Gibbs'' has become a bigger celebrity than he was during his career as a star Proteas opener, with almost daily radio interviews and public speaking engagements being the order of the day as his book tops the lists in South Africa.

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