Rabada banned for fourth Test after yelling at some stumps

Joe Root out England South Africa Port Elizabeth PA

Cricket365
January 17, 2020

South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada will miss the decisive fourth Test against England after his celebration of Joe Root’s wicket in Port Elizabeth fell foul of the match referee.

Rabada charged down the wicket after clean bowling the England captain on day one of the third Test, stopping just in front of him as he pumped his fists and shouted in celebration.

That drew the attention of Zimbabwean official Andy Pycroft, who charged the bowler with a level one breach of the International Cricket Council’s disciplinary code relating to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his or her dismissal during an international match”.

Rabada was fined 15 per cent of his match fee but more importantly picked up a demerit point – taking his tally to the ban-triggering threshold of four in a two-year period.

The clause in the ICC code of conduct which Rabada 'breached' is ridiculously open to interpretation

"Using language, actions or gestures which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal"

Surely can't be fairly policed#SAvENG

— Sam Morshead (@SamMorshead_) January 17, 2020

The bowler accepted the charge and will now miss out on next week’s clash at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

He committed three similar offences in 2018, penalised for his reactions to India’s Shikhar Dhawan and Australian pair David Warner and Steve Smith.

The latter incident was initially deemed to be more serious, with Rabada found guilty of making deliberate and inappropriate physical contact with the then Australia captain.

He successfully overturned that verdict on appeal, instead charged with a lesser offence, but was left on a disciplinary tightrope that meant his next breach would lead to suspension. And here we are.