What will it take for Kagiso Rabada to remove the stain of his recent drug ban?
South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is at a crossroads in his career. Earlier this year, the 30-year-old confirmed he tested positive for a recreational drug during the SA20 tournament and is serving a provisional suspension.
The revelation led to his surprise withdrawal from the IPL 2025 in early April.
Despite the off-field setback, Rabada's on-field record remains formidable.
With 332 wickets in 71 Tests, he has overtaken the legendary Allan Donald and sits fourth on South Africa's all-time Test wicket-takers list.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Tuks athletes hope to win several medals at the World Student Games
There is a good reason why it is said that races or matches are not won on paper, but as with everything, there are exceptions. It can now already be said with certainty that there will be more than one Tuks athlete standing on the winners' podium next month in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, during the World Student Games. The statistics of the 2023 Games backs this up. South Africa won 20 medals and Tuks' contribution to the medal tally was 11. Three of the Tuks athletes who won individual medals in Chengdu, China, will be competing again. Judging by the results this year, they are faster and stronger. Charne du Plessis, who won bronze in the 800 metres in 2023, is now nearly six seconds faster. In March, the medical student made history when she won the 800 meters in 1:59.86 at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria. In doing so, she became only the sixth South African female athlete to break the 2-minute barrier. A month later, at the SA Champs in Potchefstroom, she ran 1:58.98, qualifying for the World Champs. Her time is currently one of the 21 fastest in the world. Just for interest, at the previous Student Games, she ran 2:04.73. Her breakthrough runs came about because she has made a mindset change. 'I am not afraid anymore when I line up to race. I give my all when I run because I don't want to disappoint myself. The moment I finished racing, it is important to know it was my best effort. I could not have done better,' she said during a recent interview. Marlie Viljoen was one of only two South African athletes to win a gold medal in China last year. She was victorious in the 400 metres, running 52.38 seconds. So far this season, her best time is 51.42 seconds. She credits being faster to no longer being afraid to race hard until the end. 'Working full-time definitely helps. I'm in a routine. The work and athletics complement each other. I am more focused at work when I have trained on the track. The best is that I no longer put so much pressure on myself. I run to enjoy it and with every race,' she explained. Courtney Westley won the women's singles sculls in China. This time around, she paired up with Katherine Williams. Westley finished fifth last year in the A-final of the World Under-23 Championships. Williams has won bronze at previous World Under-23 Championships. Hannah van Niekerk was part of the South African women's 4x400m-relay team that won a bronze at the World Relay Championships. Last year, she won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles during the World Junior Athletics Championships. She is also the South African under-23 champion for the last two years. With best times of 56.22 seconds in the hurdles event and 52.72 seconds over 400 metres, she can be considered a medal contender. A total of 34 Tuks athletes, coaches and team managers form part of the South African Student Games team. Basketball: Allen Mametja, Matthew Williams, Caroline Maine and Thoriso Kotsane. Men's coach: Thanda Kweyana. Women's coach: Thesline Davids. Rowing: Katherine Williams and Courtney Westley. Swimming: Kate Meyer, Hannah Pearce, Leigh Mcharan, Hannah Robertson, Pieter Coetzee, Matthew Randle, Arno Kruger, Cameron Casali, Owethu Mahan, Shaun Thomas. Coach: Keenan Riffel Athletics: Eckhart Potgieter, Peace Adedokun, Anastayasha George, Marlie Viljoen, Charne du Plessis, Karabo Mailula, Kayla van der Bergh, Hannah van Niekerk and Colette Uys. Archery: Joane Coetzee and Wian Roux. Team manager: Gerda Roux. Coach: Septimus Holtzhausen. Tennis: Coach: Kyla Yelverton. Team manager: Makgotso Thobejane. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Temba Bavuma's Proteas are in touching distance of realising the African dream at Lord's
Zaahier Adams | Published 7 hours ago 'Cause in my African dream There's a new tomorrow My African dream Is dream that we can follow These are the lyrics that will be ringing in the heads of the Proteas as they went to bed on Friday evening. For Temba Bavuma's team require just 69 more runs on Saturday morning to realise their dream of winning the World Test Championship final here at rousing Lord's. Bavuma is still at the crease too, fighting on bravely with a hamstring strain, undefeated on 65. His partner is none other than his able deputy Aiden Markram, who struck a career-defining 102 not out to edge the Proteas ever closer to their crowning moment. The pair have already shared an unbroken 143-run stand for the third wicket with the Proteas in pursuit of 282 runs for victory - if achieved it would also be the second highest ever target achieved in the fourth innings here at Lord's. The sceptics out there will no doubt remind everyone that the Proteas needed just 79 runs with the exact same numbers of wickets still intact in their very first Test after returning from isolation when they faced the West Indies in Barbados all the way back in 1992. But that was on a crumbling final day surface at the Kensington Oval. Lord's in 2025 bears no resemblance though, particularly after only four wickets fell for the entire third day after 28 had been snared on the opening two days. Markram - the only South African Men's captain to lead a team to an ICC World Cup title when he did so with the U19s in Dubai all those years ago - played with great authority as he stemmed the much-vaunted Australian attack. 'We certainly know that he's someone for the big occasion, of that there's no doubt,' said Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince. The Proteas' would have had their hearts in their mouths though when Bavuma started hobbling after setting off a single early on in the partnership,, but the skipper was adamant that he wanted to continue in the middle with Markram despite being in obvious pain. 'At tea time, we had to make a big call whether he continues to bat (and how it will affect his stroke play, how that might affect Aiden's rhythm if twos are being turned into one, that they can't sort of run the twos or the threes. 'both of them were adamant that Temba was going to continue. He wanted to continue. Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key. 'And obviously had Stubbs gone in, we would have still had Temba's wicket intact, but you start in a new partnership, they were feeling pretty good and they wanted to continue. 'Aiden was well aware that he'll have to curb his intensity just in terms of running between the wickets to allow Temba to ease his way through it.' With the Proteas on the verge one of the greatest moments in South African cricket history, but having seen it all implode before, how will the team cope with the expected nerves for the remainder of the Test? 'I think (Proteas head coach) Shukri (Conrad) must get a lot of credit for that because that's one of his strengths, making sure that everybody stays calm within the dressing room,' Prince said. 'As soon as Aiden and Temba came up the stairs, the first thing he said was, guys, you do the same as you do every night, don't change a thing. 'Tomorrow morning, come and do the same warm-ups that you do every day. Just the same processes. We obviously understand the magnitude of the situation and what's at stake, but just to stay calm and take it in your sight.'
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Battling Bavuma and Markram have guided the Proteas to the brink of cricketing history
At tea on day three, a decision needed to be made whether Temba Bavuma would come out to bat, after injuring his hamstring. Both Aiden Markram and the captain were adamant that they had to take guard in the final session. Aiden Markram's celebrations to get to his eighth Test century were subdued against Australia in the evening session of day three of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. There was no leap into the air, no celebratory run or jog. After clipping the ball to the square leg boundary off Josh Hazlewood he simply removed his helmet, looked up to the heavens, and pointed his bat to the crowd. A few feet away from him, captain Temba Bavuma stood and applauded his vice-captain. Together the pair took South Africa (SA) from 70 for two to 213 for two at the end of the day's play. Markram would have been proud of the achievement of carrying his bat to 102 off 159 deliveries at stumps, but aware the job wasn't done yet. The Proteas require another 69 runs before entertaining thoughts of celebration. Few South African batters have faced more scrutiny from the public than Bavuma and Markram, and both have been dropped from the Test side and forced their way back into it during their careers. It hasn't been a straightforward journey for either, but they are on the cusp of helping the team to a special achievement. 'Both those guys have been through a lot of adversity over the last couple of years,' Wiaan Mulder said of Bavuma and Markram after the match. 'You could see how drained they were as they walked off. It's really special to see two guys who put South African cricket first do something special for us.' Possible record SA, pursuing what could be the second-highest total ever chased at Lord's, were heavily dependent on the contributions of their two most experienced batters. No other batter in SA's top six has played more than 20 matches. But the partnership was nearly broken as it was just starting to bloom. Bavuma sustained a hamstring strain while running, attempting to scamper for his ninth run of the innings. A quick single dropped to midwicket off the bowling of Mitchell Starc from the Pavilion End saw the captain pull up gingerly, and medics called onto the field. Bavuma lay next to the pitch, wincing in pain, on his stomach, while SA's team doctor assessed the damage. The tea break came a few overs later and the partnership had begun to form. But a key decision had to be made. Would Bavuma continue batting or would they allow him to recuperate and come back to bat when he felt better? 'Both of them were adamant that Temba was going to continue,' batting coach Ashwell Prince said about the discussion between Bavuma and Markram at tea. '[Bavuma] wanted to continue. Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key. 'Had Stubbs gone in, we would have still had Temba's wicket intact, but you start in a new partnership. They were feeling pretty good and they wanted to continue. 'And Aiden was well aware that he'd have to curb his intensity just in terms of running between the wickets to allow Temba to ease his way through it.' Markram was right. Their partnership was key. The pair put on an incredible 143 runs — the highest of the match — with Bavuma hopping and limping to the ends he was running towards. Comment on character What does it say about Bavuma's character that he decided to play through the pain and try to get his side over the line? 'It says a lot,' Prince said. 'It's not done yet, he's had to fight throughout his career and this could be a defining moment for his career, I believe.' Prince, visibly emotional as he spoke about the team's captain, had to stop himself from getting carried away. 'It's the biggest stage in terms of Test cricket,' he added. '…Maybe I should answer the question after the game.' This Proteas side has not one batter that currently averages over 40. Australia has five. Yet they are the ones closer to victory at the end of day three, chasing what would be the second-highest score at the venue. 'This team's greatest strength is the unity they have in this camp,' Prince explained. 'They are well aware that South Africa have had much greater individual players, but they've got something special going up in our dressing room and that sort of helps them to drag each other along.' Before head coach Shukri Conrad took over the role at the start of 2023, Markram wasn't in the Test squad and Bavuma wasn't the leader. So what is Conrad's message to the pair headed into the day they could rewrite South African cricket history? 'As soon as Aiden and Temba came up the stairs, the first thing he said was: 'Guys, you do the same as you do every night, don't change a thing,'' Prince said. ''Tomorrow morning, come and do the same warm-ups that you do every day, just the same processes. ''We obviously understand the magnitude of the situation and what's at stake, but just stay calm and take it in your stride.''
