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Sledge game: South African ready for WTC abuse after drug ban
SEN • June 3rd, 2025 3:15 pm
Just weeks after admitting he had served a drug ban for recreational drug use, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada has dared Australian fans to sledge him at the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
The fast bowler left the IPL in April, and it has since come to light that he was in fact serving a short ban after returning a positive drug test.
He played just two matches with the Gujarat Titans with team said his departure was to “tend to an important personal matter".
While many have criticised the handling of the ban and the lack of explanations that have since been offered, Rabada has said any baiting attempts in London will only spur him on.
“Well, I think it’s just because they come at you, and I think that gets the best out of me – when they come at me, I think it gets the best out of me,” he told South African Broadcast Corporation.
“Any type of verbal abuse, or if the media want to say something, that’s normal, that’s the field we play in. You can’t be ignorant to it, you have to be aware. I don’t think it is anything that is going to slow me down.
“They have been notorious for that over the years, right? So yeah, let’s see.”
While Rabada has expressed deep regret at the findings he is adamant the incident will not define his career.
SEN Tassie host and former Australian Test captain Tim Paine was particularly critical of Rabada who took aim at the 30-year-old’s attempts to conceal a failed drug test under the guise of a personal issue.
“I’m just glad to be playing again,” he said. “The process was handled really well...I think, as a player, and a man, people will have their different opinions. I can live with that.
“There are some people who would have been disappointed and to those people I’m deeply sorry... The people closest to me are the ones I felt I let down.
“But life moves on. I’ll never be ‘Mr-I-Apologise-Too-Much’. But I’ll never condone that action.
"This is not an ideal situation. I don’t need too many pats on the back here. I’m going to be joining them (the team) again. I’ve already spoken to them and I guess we can do so in more detail when we get together for an extended amount of time.
“It led me to a bit of introspection about myself and I took some time away from the game. I think the biggest thing I took away from it is having gratitude for playing the game that we love. I’m just glad to be playing again… the process was handled really well.
“I think, as a player, and a man, people will have their different opinions. I can live with that.”
Australia have arrived in the UK ahead of their title defence which gets under way on June 11 at Lord's.
Sports Entertainment Network’s (SEN) commitment to cricket is set to continue, with the confirmation that SEN will be broadcasting the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, as well as the upcoming Australian Men’s Test tour of the West Indies.
