Micky Arthur backs Herschelle Gibbs to carry on

MELBOURNE: South Africa coach Micky Arthur feels hard-hitting batsman Herschelle Gibbs can get his troubled career back on track after successfully undergoing a rehabilitation programme for alcohol related problems.
Gibbs scored a duck in the Twenty20 match against Australia at the MCG on Sunday but Arthur said the One-day series was the real thing for the 34-year-old to stake a claim to the side for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in England.
"Herschelle's a quality player who we identified to carry on (and) go to the World Cup," Arthur said.
With captain Graeme Smith sent home to recover from an elbow injury and a broken finger, all-rounder Johan Botha led the side and Arthur hoped Gibbs would share the team's responsibilities as a senior player.
"I'm expecting 'Hersch' to lead the batting, he's one of our most experienced One-day players and I want to see him play with the responsibility that comes with being a senior player," the coach said.
"I'm hoping he rises to that challenge, he seems hungry, he's fit and seems mentally refreshed," Arthur was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
Early this month, Gibbs completed a month-long alcohol-related rehabilitation course at a clinic near Cape Town on Cricket South Africa's order following a number of incidents including drunk-driving.