South Africa's answer to Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara gives Cricket365's Anthony Pascoe the low down on the up-coming season as he chats about the the new coach, the World Cup, Morocco, Mfuneko Ngam and other issues close to his heart. As one of the more out-going members of the South African squad Herschelle Gibbs' season preview is both frank and interesting...

1. You've got a long and very important season ahead of you. Are you happy with your preparation so far? 

I haven't done too much work yet. I am actually recovering from a throat infection at the moment and have only had one net so far… But I am not really worried about things at this stage. Last season was a very long one and it has been good to have some rest. There is still ample time before we fly out to Morocco and I am not that concerned about missing a few indoor net sessions. It is the outdoor practices that really help you prepare and get you in good touch. 

2. At the Protea training camp last week you would have had the opportunity to face the recovering Mfuneko Ngam. How was he looking and did he have you quaking in your boots?
 
I very seldom quake in my boots! Yeah, I faced him and it was good to see him looking strong and bowling with rhythm. He is clearly not firing like he can at the moment, but everybody is aware that he mustn't be rushed back too quickly. He was looking good though… 

3. Earlier this week you were out and about in Cape town donating clothing to the needy. Tell us about that… 

Well at the start of every season, since I have been a professional cricketer, I have been issued with kit. It is all sorts of stuff from tracksuits to training kit, T-shirts and ODI stuff with your name on the back. With 13 seasons of first class cricket behind me that means I have a lot of clothing filling my cupboards - I actually don't know what the other guys do with all their stuff, because sure you can save some things for auctions but that is just the playing stuff with your name on it and so on… I decided to do something positive with all my stuff.
It has been a long time since I spent a full winter in Cape Town and I was suddenly reminded of how cold it gets here. There are so many street-children around who are desperate for clothing and warmth so I went out and tried to do my bit. It was really well received and it was great to see so many children looking happy and smiling.
 
4. A number of the South African players have reputations for being a bit reclusive… You are clearly one of the more extroverted members of the side, you obviously enjoy interacting with the public? 

Yes, very much so. It is not always great because there are times when you get hassled at dinner and you just want some privacy with your family or your girl friend. But you have to take the responsibility that comes with being a public figure and generally it isn't too bad. 

5. So you have never wanted to punch a photographer like Alec Baldwin did or bite a fan like footballer Vinnie Jones once did? 

(Laughing) No, it has never been that bad. There was a time during the King Commission when there just so many photographers around that I felt really frustrated, but I was never going to lose it or anything. The most irresponsible I got was when I was in trouble, after spending a night out on the town before a game, and a journalist got hold of my number. He was asking things I didn't like and I told him where to go, and of course he quoted me… I really regretted that, but I have calmed down a lot since then. 

6. You spent some time with Morne Du Plessis at the request of the UCB. Did his influence have anything to do with this 'calming down'? 

The time with Morne was very beneficial. Obviously as an international sportsman you are under a lot of unusual pressures and it was nice to talk through those things with somebody who had actually experienced them first-hand. There are times when you need that type of advice, the advice that you father or friends can't give you, if they haven't been through the situation themselves.
It was a great thing really. He helped me look at things beyond the now as well, like what do I hope to accomplish and where do I want to be in ten years time…
 
7. So, talking about the future, where do you see career going? 

Well most obviously I would really like to move down the order in the Test side, I think it would allow me to play my natural attacking game.
Gary and I battled up front in the away series against Australia, and the guys coming in down the order were always on the back foot - I still feel slightly guilty about it. Opening the batting has never been my forte.

Opening has had benefits though - it has really helped me with my game. It has helped to improve my tightness and my technique, but I am a naturally attacking batsman and I would really like to be in a position to play my natural game from early in my innings. The ideal situation for me would be to come in with the team at 200/2, or maybe even better.

When you come in at the start of the innings you have to sacrifice the first hour of play, just to get the feel of things - that's not really me! But having said that, I would like to play lower down the order.

It is also important to remember that I scored a hundred as an opener against Australia - who are undoubtedly the best attack in the world. So, having proved myself against the best, in an innings where I wasn't able to play my natural attacking game for long periods, I must look at what is best for the team and bat where they need me.
 
8. Some guys look as though they learned to bat from a text-book, others, like yourself, just seem able to hit the ball at will to any place in the ground. You make it look so simple, how easy does it really come to you? 

My old rugby coach at school, Basil Bey, always said he rated my hand/eye co-ordination very highly and having that obviously goes a long way towards making a successful cricketer. Guys like Lance Klusener and Adam Gilchrist are examples of players with amazing hand/eye co-ordination. They just seem to be able to stand there and hit the ball, it's amazing to watch. But of all the players, the one who I think has the ability to look the least rusty at any stage is Darryl Cullinan.
After hand/eye co-ordination things like footwork and balance are vital and I guess I have just been blessed with natural talent - but we are all different… I mean I am very different to Jacques (Kallis). He is a great batsman and he always looks so good when he bats. I don't really worry what I look like when I bat, I just like to attack; to go out there and hit the ball.
 
9. Can South Africa win the World Cup? 

Yes, for sure. We know the conditions and we know the wickets. That will give us a big advantage. We just have to make sure that we are in good batting and bowling form when the tournament comes round.
I think our fielding has always been good, but we have to find serious form in the other two disciplines. It will be vital to go in with confidence.

The team has a nice blend of experience and youth and we have a great chance - it will be really special to win in front of our home crowd.

But there will be a lot of other very good teams competing and it will be very tough. Obviously Australia are very dangerous and then there is a side like Pakistan who have just beaten Australia in Australia. They also have a good blend of exuberant youth and experienced older guys and I think they will be very dangerous.

India and Sri Lanka also play lots of ODI cricket - lots more than we do - and they are very good at that form of the game. They are bad travelers though, so we will have to se how they adapt to the conditions.

But I guess we are just going to have to back ourselves - I truly believe we can do it.
 
10. And Eric Simons as the new coach? Is he the man to take South Africa to the World Cup and, having played alongside him, what is it like to now be coached by him?
 
Without a doubt. I have got to say that Eric looks like the complete package. At the camp last week we had a lengthy team discussion. We looked at where we have been, where we want to be, and how we plan to get there.
I think Eric has great ideas and he will certainly demand a lot of discipline and respect - probably more so than Fordie (Graham Ford). He is going to be very different to Fordie but he is the right man for the job. I was very impressed with his organisation and his professionalism.

Eric knows me well. We have played together and he coached at Western Province. Without wanting to sound like I am blowing my own trumpet he came to me and said he regarded me as being of the same calibre as Tendulkar or Lara.

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I asked him, "Are you feeling okay," and he just laughed and said I didn't really know how good I was. That's an enormous compliment to receive and I intend to repay it. I also told Eric about wanting to bat at number four so we will have to see what happens. Graeme Smith and Gary Kirsten will make a great combination. Although a left/right combination may be better you can't fault either of their techniques or their mental approach to batting and I think they would do a great job at numbers one and two.