Rabada under the microscope
ADVICE: PROTEAS QUICK MUST KEEP HIS AGGRESSION, BUT REIN HIMSELF IN
‘At the moment he is hurting himself and the team’.
Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada brushed shoulders with Australian captain Steve Smith after he had dismissed him in the first innings of the second Test in Port Elizabeth last week. International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Jeff Crowe ruled that the physical contact was “inappropriate and deliberate” and gave Rabada three demerit points, which took his 24-month tally to eight, which is the threshold for an automatic two-Test ban. It is a ruling that has divided cricketing opinion and Cricket South Africa have appealed the decision, with the hearing set to be heard on Monday.
The views of the former fast bowlers
West Indian great Michael Holding had all the intimidation factor of a nuclear bomb but rarely said a word to the batsman. His only disciplinary issue came in 1980 when he kicked over the stumps in frustration after a caught-behind appeal was turned down in New Zealand in a series that was marked by controversy over the umpiring.
“Nobody is saying Rabada must lose his aggression, but he needs to find a way to keep his emotions in check. And one doesn’t have to shout or scream, or go right up to the batsman, to be aggressive. One can show aggression with your body language and just in the way you bowl.”
Shaun Pollock (right) is one of the good guys of cricket and a fast-bowling great. He is, however, ginger-haired and has been known to have flashes of temper. But his tremendous bouncer generally did his talking for him and, in terms of disciplinary problems, Pollock is best remembered for having the book thrown at him by the ICC for playfully patting Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardena on the helmet in 2002. But South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker had a word of warning for Rabada:
“Of course nobody wants KG to lose his aggression, but he needs to be careful of crossing the line. He has to find a way of reining himself in because at the moment he’s hurting himself and the team.
The views of the cricket media
Former England captain Michael Atherton (right), an opening batsman who weathered some famous duels with fast bowlers, most notably Allan Donald, believes there are some gaps in the ICC’s code of conduct. Writing in The Times, he said:
“Watch each of Rabada’s ‘misdemeanours’ in isolation. To call the shoulder barges against Nirashan Dickwella and Steve Smith as such is an insult to shoulder barges. The faintest brush of sleeves would be more appropriate. He shouted a swear word when he dismissed Ben Stokes, not at him, mind. He waved Shikhar Dhawan cheerily on his way, after the batsman hooked into the deep, and screamed in celebration in David Warner’s face upon the dismissal. Taken in isolation, each incident was trifling, none was premeditated, all occurred organically and spontaneously after the culmination of intense effort.
“Rabada is an extremely intelligent young man and his actions have been dimwitted. However, the demerit system is such that he has now been punished twice for the same action (he missed a Test at Trent Bridge for the Dickwella and Stokes infringements, but they stay on his record), and for incidents that, to my mind, are trivial in the extreme.
The voice of reason
Vintcent van der Bijl (right) was one of the country’s greatest bowlers, taking 681 wickets at an average of 16.74 in local first-class cricket, his career spanning the golden age of South African batting as well as the period of isolation. He was renowned for enjoying good-natured banter on the field, but ended his career as one of the most universally-liked stars of the game. He was the ICC umpires and referees manager from 2008 to 2013.
“From what I have seen and heard about Kagiso he seems a really terrific guy. I have real admiration for him as a fast bowler and cricketer – up with the best.
“In simple terms, cricket is a non-contact sport and should remain that way. The law pertaining to physical contact was altered a few years back by the ICC Cricket Committee, which is comprised of every stakeholder in the game – players, coaches, umpires, media etc. Deliberate contact (opposite of unintentional contact) was to be eradicated – the playing condition underlines that. The line drawn in the sand is whether it was avoidable or not.
“It is time for the teams to do something as opposed to look at the ICC to decide where the line is.
“Consistency of application of true sportsmanship comes from self-regulation not policing. It would be good for cricket to resemble again the gentleman’s game. The majority of current players want just that.”