Rabada swearing ban
SOUTH AFRICA’S fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been suspended for the second Test which starts at Trent Bridge next weekend, NZ time, after he swore at England’s Ben Stokes.
Rabada, who took three wickets in England’s first innings, was found guilty of a breach of the International Cricket Council code of conduct on the opening day of the first Test following his dismissal of Stokes who was caught behind for 56.
This breach – for a use of ‘‘inappropriate language’’ towards Stokes – took him past the ICC’s threshold of four ‘‘demerit’’ points. These are then turned into suspension points which mean Rabda will miss the entire second Test.
Rabada had already received three ICC ‘‘demerit’’ points for a disciplinary offence during South Africa’s one-day international against Sri Lanka in Cape Town in February. The 22-year-old breach in that match related to ‘‘inappropriate and deliberate physical contact’’ when he clashed with the Sri Lankan batsman Niroshan Dickwella.
A statement by the ICC issued yesterday confirmed that Rabada had used ‘‘inappropriate language’’ which was ‘‘audible over the stump microphones and resulted in the batsman having to turn before walking off the field’’.
The statement confirmed that Rabada had pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Jeff Crowe from the ICC match referees’ panel.
There was no need for a formal disciplinary hearing because Rabada accepted the sanctions. It was a bad end to a tough day for South Africa. England dominated the day with bat and ball largely thanks to the all-rounder Moeen Ali who became only the seventh England player to pass 2,000 Test runs and take 100 wickets.
Ali praised Joe Root’s leadership and said that the new Eng- land captain had encouraged him to attack more with the ball.
‘‘Joe wants me to attack more as a bowler rather than bowl safe. I think that will help me. When I first came into the side that is how I played – trying to get wickets rather than bowl safe,’’ Ali said.
Root’s instructions paid dividends as Ali took the two key wickets of Hashim Amla and opener Dean Elgar. Before the Test, Ali was being billed as having been relegated to the role of England’s second spinner behind Liam Dawson but he believes that his role has become very clear – to be a wicket-taking bowler instead of being required to contain the run rate – that role has now fallen to Dawson.
Having scored an aggressive and entertaining unbeaten 57, Stuart Broad pitched in with two wickets which saw South Africa slump to 104 for four before a 99-run partnership between Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma saw the visitors recover to 203 for four before James Anderson took the wicket of De Bruyn late in the day.
Ali said he was feeling relaxed and confident ahead of the Test despite another frontline spinner being added into the team.
‘‘I feel like a big part of the team,’’ he said. ‘‘I feel like I can change games even though I know I am a bit inconsistent with the ball although I do feel like have learnt a lot and got better in that regard.
‘‘At times in the past I have tried to keep my economy rate down but I am not really that sort of bowler. If you are trying to do that you are not necessarily trying to take wickets and I think that has had an effect sometimes.’’ TIMES GETTY IMAGES
‘ Inappropriate language . . . was audible over the stump microphones. ’ ICC STATEMENT