‘Bittersweet’ time for KG as he grabs 11 wickets ... and a ban
PORT ELIZABETH: Kagiso Rabada was resigned to his fate even before the ICC slapped him with a two-match ban on Monday, which effectively brought the curtain down on the star fast bowler’s participation in this epic tussle with Australia. Although crestfallen with the verdict, Rabada maintains he is innocent.
Speaking to media after just completing an Aussie demolition job that brought him 11 wickets and the Man of the Match award in the second Test, Rabada knew he was unlikely to escape the charge of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player” levelled against him after his shirt brushed Australian captain Steve Smith’s shoulder in the first innings here at St George’s Park.
According to the ICC’s rules, the 22-year-old was fined 50% of his match fee and issued with three demerit points by match referee Jeff Crowe. This took Rabada up to eight points within the last 24 months. The ruling therefore activates a two-Test ban, meaning Rabada will play no part in the forthcoming Newlands and Wanderers showdowns. South Africa have 48 hours to appeal the verdict.
“Yeah it’s bittersweet,” Rabada said after claiming the fourth 10th wicket haul of his career. “Especially coming off a performance like that, I felt really good in this Test match. I let the team down. It’s going to have to stop. I can’t keep doing this because I am letting the team down and I am letting myself down. I would have loved to be playing in the next game.”
Although Crowe believes Rabada’s actions was “inappropriate and deliberate” and he “had the opportunity to avoid the contact”, the fast bowler is steadfast in his belief he was not trying to shoulder-charge the Australian skipper.
“I won’t change the way I express myself, I will just stay far away from the batter,” Rabada stressed. “There’s a lot of grey areas as well, but the rules are the rules. The reason why we went to a hearing was because we believe that there’s not a lot of consistency. If I knew I had done it deliberately, then I would not have gone to contest. But honestly I never even felt contact, because I was so pumped up.
“I never felt contact at all. It’s the same as at Lord’s with the (Ben) Stokes incident. I never tried to appeal that one because I knew that I did it. It’s going to need to stop, because I’m letting the team down. I’m also letting myself down.”
Rabada’s captain Faf du Plessis certainly doesn’t want his spearhead to change his spots, but does believe he may “have to get a bit smarter”.
“For me the way KG plays the game, he is a competitive fast bowler. He works bloody hard. He runs in and bowls quick for a long periods of time. So, when he gets big wickets that’s a celebration, that’s energy, that’s passion. For me its pure passion!”
Du Plessis is also befuddled by the manner the ICC are implementing the rules. During the recently-concluded India series, the visiting captain Virat Kohli was seen after virtually every wicket giving South African players “send offs” but no action was taken.
“I think that’s the biggest concern. Everyone just wants consistency. One match referee interprets it one way and the other in another way. If you make it so sensitive, guys will interpret it the wrong way,” Du Plessis said of the battle for consistency among umpires and match referees.
“We’re going on the sensitive side with everything at the moment.”
Rabada had a further disciplinary charge hanging over his head with another demerit point issued to him for his celebration upon dismissing David Warner on Sunday.