Can’t keep letting team and myself down, says Rabada

Johannesburg: South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada has said he doesn’t know whether it was a right thing by the ICC to ban him for the fourth and final Test against England, but the reality is that he is banned and he can’t let that happen again in the future as he is letting himself and the team down.

Rabada received one demerit point for his behaviour after dismissing Joe Root in the third Test which prompted the one-match ban. After clean-bowling the England captain, the South African pacer celebrated loudly and passionately within millimetres of the dismissed batter.

“It’s something that I didn’t expect. Whether it was the right thing to ban me, or the wrong thing, the reality is that I am banned,” Rabada was quoted as saying by Sport24.

“Obviously it hurts, but it gives me a chance to work on my game and to have a bit of a rest.

“It can’t keep happening, because I’m letting the team down and I’m letting myself down.

“It just can’t keep happening and that’s why it hurts so much.”

South Africa have lost seven of their last eight Tests, four of them at home, and have not won a series since January last year. This includes the embarrassing defeat by an innings and 53 runs at St. George. And Rabada knows it’s a difficult period for him and the team.

“It’s difficult to find solutions when you are not doing so well in your career, and us as steam have not been doing so well,” he said.

“You can get into a situation where you overthink trying to find solutions, so it’s quite tough to say what to do.

“I think the most important thing would be to stay positive and play positively.

“It’s difficult when you’re not playing well and everyone will have an opinion on you. We’ve played cricket long enough to know how to get out of a slump, but it can be difficult,” he added.

South Africa will aim to level the series when they face England in the final Test beginning Friday at the Wanderers.