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Gibbs reveals Smith's SMS

Cape Town - Herschelle Gibbs says Proteas captain Graeme Smith has sent him an SMS questioning his assertion in his autobiography To The Point that Smith had too much influence over the national team.

VIDEO: Herschelle Gibbs / Daryll Cullinan showdown

Smith is currently in the UAE with the Proteas as they take on Pakistan in a five-match ODI series, to be followed by a two-match Test series.

Gibbs said in a radio interview with CapeTalk’s Aden Thomas on Thursday that Smith had sent him an SMS asking simply: “Too powerful?”

Gibbs said he had replied by telling Smith that “that is what I think”.

Asked if he still wanted to be picked to play for the Proteas in next year’s Cricket World Cup in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Gibbs said: “I can’t see the current squad changing for the World Cup. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

After the book's release on Monday, Smith said that Gibbs is still welcome in the South African cricket team, but only if he is willing to sit down with every team member and have an open and honest chat.

In the book, Gibbs writes about his and his team-mates' sex orgies and regular alcohol abuse and drug use. He added that a clique under Smith's leadership caused serious division in the team.

"I haven't read the book yet but I have to confess that the rest of the team and I are hurt by some of the things he says," said Smith when asked for comment by Sport24.

"It is outrageous to allege that there is a culture of debauchery, because we would definitely not have been able to achieve so much success recently if we got falling-down drunk every couple of nights and partied in our hotel rooms with strange women until the early hours of the morning." 

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