Gibbs forced to miss season with Durham

Herschelle Gibbs will not be joining Durham this season after the South African board recommended that he should take a break from the game. Gibbs was due to play for Durham this summer as one of their overseas players, but he suffered a hamstring injury during South Africa's version of the Twenty20 Cup, and will now not be gracing the County Championship with his entertaining batting.

In a statement, the South African board said that Gibbs had been "experiencing severe physical and mental fatigue, such being the result of an extremely long and challenging international season". Hence the board recommended that Gibbs took some time out "in order to ensure he is prepared for his upcoming international commitments that are due to commence in two months with the South African tour of Sri Lanka."

Martyn Moxon, Durham's head coach, was understandably peeved at the news. "It is a blow to lose a player of Herschelle's ability, especially without him playing a game," he said. "Fortunately, Marcus North is in fine form at the moment having scored his maiden century for Durham over the weekend, and we can now take time to consider all our options over the coming weeks."

Gibbs, 30, has played 59 Tests for South Africa and averages fractionally below 50. As he showed last summer when South Africa toured England, he can live with the best, and he would have been a handful for county attacks this season.

Durham have their problems on the bowling front as well. A lengthening injury list, coupled with the fact that Shoaib Akhtar is not due to arrive until after the weekend, has forced the club to sign Tahir Mughal, a fast bowler from Pakistan. He played for the Durham Academy last year, and has a first-class bowling average of 21.22 in Pakistan.

"The decision to draft in a bowler at such short notice was not taken lightly," said Moxon, "but with worsening injury problems, we felt the need to strengthen the bowling attack until the arrival of Shoaib Akhtar."