Graeme Smith disappointed by Herschelle Gibbs' claims
South African ODI and Test match captain, Graeme Smith has said that he was saddened by Herschelle Gibbs’ assertions that he was a powerful individual who had a clique of three or four players with him. Gibbs had made these accusations in his autobiography,
‘To The Point’, and said that Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 were the other members of that clique.
Smith said that he always thought that both, the team and the cricket board had supported Gibbs through his thick and thin. He added, "It's well documented that his team-mates and Cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 have always supported him through his troubles. We've been
the one thing he could rely on."
Gibbs had earlier been accused of match-fixing and was banned for a period of six months. There have been other disciplinary issues associated with him as well including drinking binges, smoking marijuana on tour and making racist comments against members of
a stadium crowd.
Smith also defended himself against the allegations of being the leader of a clique within the dressing room by saying that it was a common practice in sport or otherwise to have senior groups to be able to lead the others. He said, "Our success over the last
three or four years proves that we have a good working environment.”
Smith also added, "He's obviously gone with an angle that he's lived his life by and I think it shows more about his own insecurities than anything else."
Speaking of the sexual encounters that players had on tour mentioned in the book, Smith said that it was a thing of the 1990s and did not involve the current side.
Not only Smith, but former coach, Micky Arthur also reacted to Gibbs’ statement on how Arthur had to "bow to senior players' opinions." He said that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gibbs-c60021 had no clue about the happenings within the dressing room.
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