Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s prominent fast bowler, is navigating his return to international cricket following a one-month suspension for recreational drug use. As he prepared to leave for England to play in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Rabada engaged openly with the media about the challenges ahead, emphasising his commitment to his team and the sport.
Acknowledging the importance of addressing the situation with his teammates, Rabada stated, “I think I owe it to them [to talk about what happened]—they’re my team-mates. We’ve come from so far, you know, and to my closest people I owe it to them.”
Earlier in the year, Rabada returned home from the IPL for what was initially described as “personal reasons”. However, it later emerged that he had tested positive for a banned recreational substance during the SA20 league. After serving his suspension, Rabada returned to complete the IPL season with Gujarat Titans.
Reflecting on this period, Rabada said the experience led to significant self-reflection. “It led me to a bit of introspection about myself, and I took some time away from the game,” he explained. “I think the biggest thing I took away from it is having gratitude for playing the game that we love.”
Because Rabada admitted to the offence, he received a more lenient suspension. Addressing his decision to return early from the IPL, he remarked, “The decision to come back early [from the IPL] was brilliant, and that’s a decision that I made. I could have tried to contest it and whatnot, but coming home was the best option.”
Despite issuing a public apology, Rabada insists on moving forward. “As you would have seen in my statement, there are some people who would have been disappointed. And to those people, I’m deeply sorry,” he said. Yet, he remains resolute in his focus on the game, adding, “But life moves on. I’ll never be ‘Mr-I-Apologise’ too much. But I’ll never condone that action.”
As Rabada rejoins the South African squad, the focus will be on how he adapts and what he can achieve in the looming WTC final. Andrew Fidel Fernando, a senior writer, offers these insights into the situation unfolding.
