By Jamie Lillywhite BBC Sport

Gibbs hit nine fours and a six in his 101 against West Indies last month

It is hard to believe that a player who made 101 in his last international innings could reach such a low ebb in just over a month that he would ask to take a break from the game.

Yet such is the case with South Africa's opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs.

His confidence is so low that he requested Peter Kirsten, coach of the Western Province Boland franchise, to leave him out of their team.

The Champions Trophy century against West Indies apart, Gibbs has not been at his free-scoring best over the past few months.

But it is a five-year-old problem which is partly responsible for his current state of mind.

Match-fixing allegations concerning the 2000 tour to India continue to rumble on and Gibbs failed to make a fifty in WPB's first two Supersport Series matches of the new South African season.

"He hasn't been as mentally focused as Herschelle Gibbs at his best is," Kirsten told BBC Sport.

"It's a continuation of struggles the South African team has been having and also the Indian situation - I think that's been troubling him a bit."

Gibbs would normally be one of the first names down on the South African team-sheet, even though there have been no Test centuries in four matches since his 192 against West Indies in Centurion at the beginning of the year.

But the Indian saga has provided the backdrop to his life in recent weeks, as both he and spin bowler Nicky Boje were asked to submit written answers to questions supplied by Delhi police.

Gibbs has scored 4697 runs in 102 Test innings, averaging 48.42.

Gibbs was handed a ban from international cricket for the rest of the year in August 2000 after being found guilty of conspiracy on the Indian tour, led by the late Hansie Cronje.

He accepted an offer of money to score less than 20 runs in a one-day game, but ultimately changed his mind, made 74 and was not paid.

At the time of the disciplinary hearing Gibbs said: "I believe the last four months have been the worst of my life.

"I have obviously had an opportunity of reflecting on my actions in Nagpur and have come to appreciate fully my stupidity."

India is clearly a place that evokes unhappy memories for Gibbs.

And the prospect of a return with the South African team next month is not one he is prepared to embrace, having reportedly made himself unavailable.

But Kirsten is convinced that a man who averages almost 50 from 60 Tests, with 13 centuries, will soon emerge from his slump.

England will tour South Africa at the end of the year and it will be a major surprise if Gibbs does not reclaim his place.

"He'll get back to where he was. We are addressing what is troubling him, his mental focus and we're not far off the mark," said Kirsten.

I'm determined to help him come right and I've no doubt he will because he's far too good a player not to Peter Kirsten

"At the moment I'm just wanting him to practice properly. He's going to have to fight for his place, a lot of things are happening here and everyone wants to play for South Africa.

"We're not far off the mark. By the time the England team come to South Africa he'll be at his best, there's no doubt about that.

"I'm determined to help him come right and I've no doubt he will because he's far too good a player not to."

Good news for fans of attacking stoke play but not perhaps for messrs Harmison, Hoggard and Flintoff.