Kagiso Rabada's recreational drug confirmed as COCAINE
Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has completed a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance during the SA20 tournament earlier this year.
The 28-year-old was suspended following the detection of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine, in a urine sample collected after MI Cape Town's SA20 match against Durban's Super Giants in January.
The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) confirmed the positive test and subsequent disciplinary action.
'He was tested after the match, he provided the sample, and that sample tested positive for a substance of abuse,' said Saids CEO Khalid Galant.
Galant noted that positive drug tests in cricket are rare in South Africa, with no similar cases reported in recent years.
Kagiso Rabada chose not to have his 'B' sample tested, a decision Saids deemed pragmatic.
'If you know you did it, it saves you time and legal fees,' Galant said.
The suspension was quietly served after Rabada returned from India in early April.
He is now back with his Indian Premier League franchise, the Gujarat Titans, although the IPL has been suspended amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
No matches have been played since last Thursday, and league officials were expected to meet over the weekend to determine the tournament's future.
Despite the setback, Rabada remains eligible for international selection and is expected to join the Proteas Test squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in London next month.
The incident has reignited discussions around drug use in professional sport, though authorities have reiterated that the substance involved is classified under 'substances of abuse' rather than performance enhancers, which carries a different disciplinary framework.
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