Rabada surprised by ban, sorry for letting team down

PORT ELIZABETH: South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada says he was surprised to be sanctioned for his exuberant celebration of Joe Root’s dismissal in the third Test against England but knows he cannot keep letting his team mates, and himself, down. Rabada was handed a onematch ban by the International Cricket Council, ruling him out of the last match of the four-test series, which starts in Johannesburg on Friday. It was something I didn’t expect,” Rabada said on Tuesday. “Whether it was the right thing to ban me or the wrong thing, the reality is that I’m banned. It cannot keep happening because I’m letting the team down and I’m letting myself down,” he said.

DE KOCK TO LEAD SA ONE-DAY TEAM

JOHANNESBURG: Quinton de Kock was on Tuesday named as South Africa’s one-day international captain as part of a long term transition plan. His first assignment will be to lead the team in a three-match series against World Cup champions England, starting in Cape Town on Feb 4.

Test and Twenty20 captain Faf du Plessis was not in a 15-man squad named by Cricket South Africa on Tuesday despite committing himself to the organisation until the World Cup T20 in October and November.

MATHEWS HELPS LANKA CLOSE IN ON LEAD

HARARE: Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis both struck measured half-centuries as Sri Lanka reached 295 for four at close of play on a stodgy third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Mendis battled his way to 80 while former skipper Mathews was far from fluent in reaching 92 not out from 253 balls as Sri Lanka closed 63 runs in arrears on the first innings with six wickets in hand. With two days remaining, they appear to hold the upper hand although the pitch may have the final say.