RABADA BOILOVER
KAGISO Rabada produced a match-defining performance in Port Elizabeth and at the same time left South Africa’s hopes of going on to win the series in serious jeopardy.
Rabada has found a way to give the Proteas all the momentum with his blazing 11wicket haul, while also taking it all away with his suspension.
Rabada destroyed Australia in the second Test and, as a sign of his pending greatness, he has four 10-wicket hauls to his name from just 28 matches.
That’s more than Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini, while Dale Steyn only has one more (five) from nearly triple the number of games.
But in 18 months he has been charged five times for illdiscipline, including twice in the Port Elizabeth Test that is expected to rub him out for the deciding matches in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Rabada was hit with a grade two for shouldering into Steve Smith when he got the Australian captain out in the first innings, and then doubled down to give David Warner a bake to his face in the second dig — attracting a grade one penalty.
The void he will leave is monumental.
Last night Rabada blitzed Australia’s tail to finish with six wickets to go with his five from the first dig and restricted the tourists to a lead of just 100.
But what will South Africa do in Cape Town without him?
An underdone Dale Steyn may be forced into a risky early return from a heel injury, or selectors may backflip on the decision to drop Morne Morkel.
Either way, South Africa has lost its powerhouse.
South African teammates have slammed their loose cannon spearhead for the erratic behaviour which has sabotaged their hopes of victory.
Bowling legend Michael Holding is fed up with ugly send-offs and sledging, declaring it time to red card offending players from the game.
The official verdict from Rabada’s code of conduct hearing was yet to be handed down by match referee Jeff Crowe last night, but it was understood Rabada would be suspended for two matches.
Holding, who has served as a mentor to the 22-year-old tearaway, called on umpires to start using the red and yellow card system introduced by the International Cricket Council late last year in a bid to clean up the game following a series in South Africa which gave the sport a black eye.
Umpires have power to send unruly players off the field, temporarily or for the match, and award penalty runs to opponents.
Holding says the penny has to drop for Rabada to realise his potential as a fast bowler.
“When people behave like that, you just wonder, why, why is that necessary?,” Hold- ing said on SuperSport.
Proteas star AB de Villiers said Rabada must pull his head in: “He’s got to be smarter and he knows that. I don’t know what is going to happen to him after this Test but if he is around for the next Test match I think he would have learnt from his mistakes.”
Australian bowling coach David Saker admits Rabada’s suspension would make a big change in the series.
“It’d be handy for us not to have to face him, that’s for sure,” said Saker. “He’s been probably one of the outstanding bowlers of the series so far and with his pace and the way he strikes, I think his strike rate’s one of the better ones in the world.”