Cocaine abuse a distant memory, Rabada emerges a hero at Lord’s

It’s been four days since South Africa pulled off one of the biggest coups of Test cricket in recent times against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Lord’s. However, Kagiso Rabada – their pace warhead who has elevated himself into the pantheon of fast-bowling greats for his country – says it has not quite ‘sunk in’ for him and the rest for the ‘boys’.

The build-up to the WTC final, which the Proteas entered as rank underdogs, has been a tough one for the lithe speed merchant from Johannesburg. Barely a week before the final began, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) made public their findings that the recreational drug found in Rabada’s system during a random test in January was benzoylecgonine — a metabolite of cocaine.

At the time, Rabada was playing in the SA T20 League.

The findings did not point to a performance-enhancing drug, however, and he was able to play for MI Cape Town, and then for South Africa at the Champions Trophy before his results were known.

He was informed of his positive test in late March, when the IPL had begun and Rabada had to pull out of the Gujarat Titans to serve a one-month ban from 1 April. His absence was attributed to ‘personal reasons’ by the officialdom.

The timing of the findings could have been deemed as a setback for anyone with lesser grit but before travelling to London for the WTC final, Rabada came clear before the South African media but said he refused to be a ‘Mr. I Apologise’. Quite a cerebral cricketer, Rabada said he was anticipating the Aussies would come at him hard after the disclosure of cocaine ingestion; but he gave them no chance — setting the tone on the opening morning by exploiting the overcast conditions to send back Usman Khwaja and Cameron Green in one over.

If Aiden Markram’s century was one for the ages and his defiant partnership with the resilient skipper Temba Bavuma made a wet-behind-the-ears batting line-up believe that they could do it, Rabada’s hauls of 5-51 and 4-59 constituted a lesson in fighting fire with fire.

The 9-wicket haul at Lord’s has now taken him past Allan Donald to fourth position among the all-time highest wicket-takers of South African cricket. A look at their Top 5 shows he is in good company: Dale Steyn (439), Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390), Rabada (336) and Donald (330).

There is, however, no starry air of glamour about him.

As Rabada says: “I don’t see myself as a star. I see myself as someone willing to work, give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That’s me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride. That’s the way I’d like to see everyone play.’’

Speaking to the ICC website team, he said that the biggest takeaway from the Lord’s win was a newfound confidence that they (South Africa) could do it, despite having been branded as perennial chokers. “If you put into perspective for the younger players what that’s like. It is special, it hasn’t sunk in. This has given us confidence we can do it again.”

He couldn’t resist a small dig at their opponents and hosts though: “Australia are a well-accustomed team and, with all due respect, a bit of an ageing team. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school.”

Incidentally, Rabada’s first-innings fifer saw him become just the second player in history to have his name on the honours boards in both the ‘home’ and ‘away’ dressing rooms at Lord’s, following West Indies legend Gordon Greenidge. However, he rated the four-wicket haul in the second innings higher, seeing as it was more crucial to help the Proteas stay in the game after conceding the first innings lead in a big game.

“I’ve been working extremely hard, those second innings spells are the ones that count a lot more — [especially] when you are a bit tired and behind in the game,” he said.

Indeed. Take a bow, K.G. — as the teammates call him!