Rabada still has to sweat it out over ban
FAST bowler Kagiso Rabada will learn the result of his appeal against a ban for the remaining two Tests against Australia within 48 hours following a hearing yesterday, Cricket South Africa said.
The hearing, via teleconference with judicial commissioner Michael Heron of New Zealand, lasted for more than five hours.
CSA said the International Cricket Council would announce the outcome by tomorrow, the day before the start of the third Test against Australia. The series is currently 1-1.
Rabada, who has been highly influential in the two Tests so far, was given the ban for making physical contact with Australian captain Steve Smith during the second Test in PE.
Rabada’s brush with Smith led to him being given three demerit points which took him to the eightpoint threshold that triggers an automatic two-Test ban.
SA captain Faf du Plessis attended the early part of the meeting before leaving to join the team but team manager Mohammed Moosajee and advocate Dali Mpofu remained with Rabada.
Australia’s tour has been marred by altercations on and off the field. In the first Test, the visitors’ vice-captain David Warner was involved in an altercation with SA wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in a stairwell. Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has told AFP that while he did not want to see behaviour “crossing the line”, emotion and aggression were part of the game. “In all honesty... we don’t want robots on the field.”