Herschelle Herman Gibbs was born in Green Point, Cape Town, Western Cape. In school he played soccer and rugby, but chose cricket as his sport of choice. He is a right handed batsman who made a name for himself at Eden Gardens in Calcutta, India in the 1996/97 seasons, his national team debut.
Gibb’s career was plagued with controversy. He was implicated in a match fixing scandal with Hansie Cronje, he was allegedly caught smoking marijuana with team mates on a tour and in 2007, he faced disciplinary action after making racist comments during the 1st Test against Pakistan. Despite his troubles, he has won man of the match 14 times.