Thursday, March 28, 2024

Gibbs: CPL will be life of party

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HERSCHELLE GIBBS is?widely regarded these days as a T20 specialist.
He has played in some of the biggest Twenty20 competitions around the world, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), Australia’s Big Bash, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Champions League.
And with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) just over two months away from its start date, the South African thinks this inaugural competition has the potential to outdo them all.
Gibbs, who was selected as one of the competition’s six international franchise players, said the CPL had an obvious edge over the other competitions.
“It’s quite easy to mix the cricket with the carnival-like atmosphere at the grounds itself here in the Caribbean,” Gibbs told MIDWEEK?SPORT in a recent interview at Hilton Barbados.
“That is where the IPL differs. They don’t have too much of the off-the-field stuff, everything is on the field.
“Here in the Caribbean the party is off the field as well and that is the big difference. Everything won’t just finish when the game finishes like the IPL and the Big Bash does. When the game is finished here in the Caribbean, the party is now beginning.”
He said that because of this carnival-like atmosphere he expected the CPL to attract lots of interest from spectators around the world.
Gibbs revealed that playing cricket in the West Indies was always a joy, as the Caribbean held a special place in his heart.
It was in St Kitts where he bludgeoned Netherlands bowler Daan van Bunge for six sixes in an over at the 2007 World Cup to become the first man to ever achieve the feat in a One Day International (ODI). He wed Tenielle Povey shortly afterwards on the  island.
“I am exceptionally excited to be back here in the Caribbean and to play in the CPL,” said Gibbs.
He said he started to get “little tingly sensations” when he received the invitation to participate “because obviously I have a bit of an affiliation with the West Indies and St Kitts in particular”.
“I’ve been here plenty of times with the Proteas and I’ve really enjoyed myself every time that I have come here…I wasn’t going to hesitate to accept the offer when they approached me.”
Despite the 39-year-old former opening batsman not having played an international match in over three years, one of his main goals is to finish among the top five run scorers in the competition.
The veteran of 90 Tests and 248 ODIs maintained that although he had come to the end of a stellar international career, he always aimed to perform well whenever he played.
“As a T20 specialist, I set myself a goal to be among the top five run scorers in any tournament that I play in,” Gibbs said.
“I try to be influential, to get my team to the play-offs and try to make my teammates better.
“The CPL is a wonderful opportunity for many of the regional cricketers to get their names out there, so that when the other big competitions come back around their names would be in the mix.
“I just want to share my experiences because obviously I’m going to be playing with a lot of young players, and I will just try to help them out in any way that I can.”

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