KG hearing lengthy – and costly
KAGISO Rabada’s appeal hearing had dragged on for more than four hours when Dean Elgar sat down to talk to the media at Newlands yesterday.
Elgar had come to discuss the finer points of a series poised at 1-1 after South Africa’s rousing fightback to win the second test at St George’s Park by six wickets – a series that will resume in Cape Town on Thursday.
But Rabada’s hearing was uppermost. Except for Elgar.
“As players, you don’t have influence over what has happened in the hearing or what could happen. But it would be nice to put it behind us,” he said.
“There’s been so much noise and I think people have actually forgotten that there’s such a great series happening.”
Rabada is challenging the three demerit points he earned – and with them a two-match ban for an accumulation of eight points – for making contact with Steve Smith’s shoulder during the second test.
It was one white-hot moment in an intense contest but it is taking hours of expensive hot air to parse the rights from the wrongs.
That is hardly surprising considering heavyweight lawyers like Dali Mpofu – Rabada’s representative – are involved.
The case is being heard‚ with the help of video‚ by Michael Heron‚ queen’s counsel and former New Zealand solicitor-general.
Although Elgar seemed to take a dim view of the fuss around Rabada’s situation‚ he had praise for the fast bowler.
“Having him in the side is massive. KG is an extremely special cricketer.”
He is. But best KG and everybody else learn to stay on the right side of the law in a series in which Rabada is the fifth player to be punished by match referee Jeff Crowe.
Elgar’s hopes to “put it behind us” are likely to fall on deaf Australian ears.
For that he can thank Vernon Philander. Or whoever it was who‚ Philander claims‚ hacked his Twitter account to post: “Haven’t really seen the footage of this incident but by the looks of this Steve Smith gave KG the shoulder.
“He could have avoided any contact but to me he is just as guilty. Trying some football skills to get a penalty? Pity he didn’t dive to top it off.”
That is more than enough to keep the enmity between the teams burning brightly.
More than an hour after Elgar spoke‚ Rabada and the expensive lawyers wrapped things up.
They have until tomorrow to reveal what almost six hours’ worth of talk has achieved. – TimesLIVE