Herschelle Gibbs has been slapped a hefty maintenance claim by his estranged wife Tenielle, which could see the South African cricketer lose a major chunk of his Indian Premier League earnings.
The troubled opener, who was bought for US $ 575,000 by the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers in the IPL players' auction, on his part says he intends to divorce Tenielle.
In an application brought before the Cape Town High Court, Tenielle has claimed that Herschelle is an alcoholic and has become "erratic, verbally abusive and aggressive".
The model, who married Herschelle after a whirlwind romance in West Indies last year, also claims that the cricketer has been harassing her with "degrading" text messages.
Tenielle has filed a US $ 12,042 (96,950 rand) per month maintenance claim which Herschelle has agreed to pay for now to cover for his wife's home rental, electricity, insurance, domestic help, gardening, pool maintenance, security, a vehicle and medical aid.
But he has vowed to fight her claims in a later hearing slated for August 1.
Earlier, Gibbs allegedly blocked Tenielle's access to his bank accounts and also threatened to take away her credit cards, the local media reported.
Gibbs is due to reply on Tenielle's charges in the next hearing.
The latest trouble marks yet another personal low for the discarded opener, who was recently arrested for drunk driving.
