Is Herschelle Gibbs the most Underrated Test Opener ever?

No one ever mention Herschelle Gibbs when Great Test Openers are discussed. Even while selecting All Time XIs most people select Gary Kirsten.

Gary Kirsten Stats as Opener

Matches - 84

Innings - 149

Runs - 5726

Average - 41.79

Centuries - 14

Half Centuries -28

Now Herschelle Gibbs as an Opener

Matches - 68

Innings - 116

Runs - 5242

Average - 47.22

Centuries - 14

Half Centuries - 21

He averaged 46.1 in 36 Tests at Home and 48.45 in 32 Tests in Away Games. Pretty Great for an opener.

Justin Langer is definitely considered as one of the great Test Openers and He scored 5116 Runs in 65 Tests at an average of 48.22.

Gibbs Averages more as an Opener than Saeed Anwar(47.10), Chris Gayle(43.11), Mark Taylor(43.49), Michael Slater(42.83),Alastair Cook(44.86), Graham Gooch(43.88), Gordon Greenidge(45.10), Michael Vaughan(45.48), Bill Lawry(47.10), Sanath Jayasuriya(41.48) and Desmond Haynes(42.45).

Yet the above mentioned names are at least talked about when Good or Great Openers are discussed. But Herschelle Gibbs is never mentioned.

With a Cut-off of 2500 Runs Scored in Away Games. Herschelle Gibbs is 5th(48.45) on the list of players with the Best Averages. The 4 Players above him are Jack Hobbs(59.16), Graeme Smith(55.88), Len Hutton(54.53) & Sunil Gavaskar(52.92) which are definitely All Time Great. But being 5th on that kind of list should at least get your name mentioned when Great Openers are talked about.

Only reason I can think of for Gibbs being not mentioned in those conversations is his overall low average of 42 after 90 Tests. But as an opener he was one of the Best and deserves his place among the Best Openers in Test Cricket.

submitted by /u/PickleRick1193
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