RABADA BANNED

WHEN the Proteas’ premier vinnige bowler Kagiso Rabada returned home early due to personal reasons from the IPL last month, not much was read into his homecoming.

However, in a statement released by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) on Saturday, it has been revealed that there was more to the 29-year-old’s early return from the IPL than the country thought.  

The SACA statement highlighted that the fast bowler returned after testing positive for a banned substance, and Rabada confirmed on Saturday that the substance taken was a “recreational drug”. 

The quickie is currently serving a provisional suspension, and it is not yet clear as to how long the suspension is.

Rabada says in the statement: “As has been reported, I recently returned to South Africa from participating in the IPL for personal reasons. This was due to my returning an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug.

“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down. I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted.

“This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations.

“I am serving a provisional suspension, and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love playing.

“I couldn’t have gone through this alone. I’d like to thank my agent, CSA [Cricket SA] and the Gujarat Titans for their support. I’d also like to thank SACA and my legal team for their guidance and counsel… ” 

There is a little over a month to go to coach Shukri Conrad’s team’s World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s, and given Rabada’s expertise with the ball and his impact in the side, the news could prove to be a groot blow for the Proteas.