Rabada wins South Africa’s top player prize

JOHANNESBURG: Kagiso Rabada, the world’s number one Test bowler, was on Saturday named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year.

The award came at the end of a 12-month period during which Rabada, 23, was a consistent match-winner – and subject of disciplinary hearings.

Rabada took 72 wickets at an average of 19.52 in 12 Tests going back to a series in England last July.

He missed one Test in England because he was banned after reaching a demerit points threshold – and would have missed the last two Tests against Australia earlier this year if he had not appealed successfully against a verdict that would have brought a two-match ban for reaching a second threshold.

Rabada went on to be man of the series when South Africa beat Australia in a controversial four-match series.

The ban came after a collision with Australian captain Steve Smith. Match referee Jeff Crowe found him guilty of a level two offence and he was docked three demerit points, which triggered an automatic ban. But it was downgraded to a level one offence with one demerit point.

Rabada remains in danger of missing more matches, though, because he has accumulated seven points, one short of a ban. With points remaining on his record for two years, he will not start shedding points until February 2019.