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Gibbs claims disappointing, nonsense: SA team manager

November 01, 2010 10:22 IST

Rejecting Herschelle Gibbs' claims of sexual promiscuity, alcohol abuse and division in the side, South African cricket team manager Mohammad Moosajee has said the out-of-favour opener's statements were "nonsense and disappointing". 

The Proteas, who are currently playing an ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE, have been rattled by the embarrassing allegations by Gibbs, who has made the explosive claims in his autobiography -- To The Point

The book talks about "sexual orgies, alcohol and drug abuse" during some of the tours by the Proteas. 

Gibbs has also alleged that a "click" made up of skipper Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers has created divisions in the dressing room. 

The 36-year-old opener, who is currently out of the squad, goes on to say that the group has made it "impossible to develop positive team spirit".

The side has been expectedly taken aback by Gibbs' sensational attack.

"The players are very disappointed about the allegations because Herschelle is an excellent player and should rather be remembered for what he did on the field," team manager Mohammad Moosajee was quoted as saying by the local media. 

"He was not a regular member of the team for the past two years and is therefore not in a position of comment on the team spirit. 

"Anyone who has viewed the team's performances against Pakistan would have been able to see that it is nonsense. You can't achieve results like that without a good spirit on and off the field," he added.

Moosajee also dismissed claims of sexual orgies. 

"His allegations (of regular group sex in the Proteas' hotel) apparently refer to the tour of Australia in 1998. That  happened 12 years ago and has nothing to do with the current team," said Moosajee. 

"We have our own code of conduct and each member of the team and management follows it." 

In addition to all this, Gibbs has also alleged that former team-mate Daryll Cullinan was the one who reported him, Roger Telemachus, Andre Nel, Justin Kemp and Paul Adams for smoking marijuana during their tour of the West Indies in 2001.

"It was my idea and I felt that we should celebrate the win in the 'appropriate manner'," the book states.

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