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Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Neil McKenzie interview on WTC final: Can South Africa beat serial winners Australia at Lord's?
The upcoming World Test Championship final will mark quite a pivotal moment in the future of Test cricket for South Africa. With the increasing attraction of T20 franchise leagues across the world offering lucrative amounts, the red-ball format has become an afterthought outside the big three (India, England and Australia). South Africa, not long ago, at the beginning of the WTC cycle, sent their 'provincial team' to New Zealand to accommodate the players who had SAT20 gigs. Neil McKenzie, who played 58 Tests for South Africa in a nine-year career, spoke on whether he thinks Temba Bavuma's men can beat defending champions Australia and what the WTC Final and Test cricket overall means to the country in a chat with The Indian Express. Excerpts: What does this WTC final mean to South Africa? Everyone's really excited in South Africa and can't wait for the 11th of June. We've gone through a little bit of a slump in terms of Test cricket, in the last couple of years. So it's nice to be back competing for the championship. There have been a few questions raised on the path which South Africa has reached the final of the WTC final It's not South Africa's fault or any of the other nation's' fault. That's the scheduling. Yes, they haven't played against Australia or England, but they've had some quality results. Winning in Bangladesh was quite clinical, especially having to sort of almost give up on the New Zealand (2023-24) tour because of the SA20. There has been sharp criticism from former players about the way South Africa didn't send their main team to New Zealand because of SA20. How do you view that? We know what a big money spinner it is (SA20), and it's really important for South African cricket. So you can have money to develop grassroots and your provinces, and have pipelines. So everyone understood it. It wasn't ideal sending a second, third string to New Zealand. You don't just want to hand out caps, and your test side has to be your ultimate side. We've seen some of the other countries where they're playing a lot of young players in their Test side because of the T20 system and guys choosing to go that route, which is a personal choice for a lot of players. That team that went to New Zealand was all those guys who didn't get a gig in the SA20 sides. So that's taken out a lot of your core players. So it was probably a provincial team that went to play test cricket. How do SA players view Test cricket with SA20 and all franchise money that can be made? We have seen Anrich Nortje deny a central contract A guy like Andrew Nortje, he's a fast bowler, bowling 150 km an hour. He knows his body. He's not 21 anymore. So he's got some choices to make in terms of what's best for him. Obviously, we'd love to see him playing in the SA20 and Test cricket. But he's had a couple of injuries. I never look down on anybody in terms of their decisions they make. Everyone's got their reasons. But as an ex-player, I want South Africa to have at their call their best resources for test cricket. We've got a few more all-rounders coming through the system, which gives our team a lot of balance in terms of Marco Jansen, Wian Mulder and some of those younger batters. If you look at how they're coming through there, all of them have got Test 100s, and there's competition for places, which hasn't always been the case over the last couple of years. If you think of South African cricket and you think of all the wins in the history that we've had, there's always been competition for places, and it's hard to crack a position, where in the last couple of years, I don't think that competition for places has been there. It could have been a bit of Kolpak (to play in County cricket in England), it could have been a couple of T20 leagues, but there's that hunger now. A lot of those players are playing T20 as well. South African cricket is being clever in terms of allowing them to go earn their bucks, but managing players. So there's a give and take. Players can't just take, take, take in terms of, 'I want to do this league, that league'. What do you think of Temba Bavuma as captain, which makes him tick? Temba's been good. He's found his little niche in terms of how he wants to captain. And there's always that time where you've got to find your feet, know how you want to lead. And he's gone about it, not going away from his personality. He's led in terms of the batting department the last couple of years, shown grit, gets stuck in, and been consistent in his performances. So that's one way to lead. He has a quiet demeanour, but there's a steeliness; your core skill has to be leading from the front, whether you're a captain or not. So he's been leading the batting department. And he's making a good pair with Shukri Conrad as the coach. So they've got a World Cup final to show for their efforts and hopefully a win at the end of the Test match. Australians are serial winners. What do you think South Africa will need, apart from obviously playing well, to beat this side? It's just doing the basics well, playing against a well-drilled experienced Aussie side that has been there before and done it. You don't have to go there to try and do something different. South Africa got a blueprint of how they want to play. You do the analysis on the opposition and try and find little chinks or little opportunities, which you can sort of get through to them. But South Africa should just focus on themselves, enjoy the occasion and sort of play as a team, which they've done. That character, that resilience, that pride playing for your country, that will come out just to fulfil your role. And with these tight Test matches there, you've got to stay in it. And if you are on top, you've got to try and stay on top, really push the hammer down because you know Australia, they've got an experienced bowling line-up and a few world-class batters – a few very X-factor batters. They'll be bringing their toys to play. South Africa is going to match them, and they'll have a lot of support at home and at the home of cricket, Lord's.
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First Post
05-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Tim Paine questions silence over Kagiso Rabada's drug suspension: 'People deserve to know'
Former Australia captain Tim Paine has slammed the secrecy over Kagiso Rabada's drug suspension. He has called for full transparency in the case as Rabada remains in contention to play in IPL 2025 and WTC Final. read more Former Australian cricket captain Tim Paine has strongly criticised the way Kagiso Rabada's drug suspension has been handled, saying fans and fellow players deserve to know the full truth. Rabada, one of South Africa's top fast bowlers, recently confirmed he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a recreational drug. He had earlier left IPL 2025 citing 'personal reasons', but later revealed the real reason was a failed drug test. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Rabada admitted his mistake and apologised publicly, Tim Paine believes the matter was kept too quiet. Speaking on SEN Radio, Paine said, 'It stinks. I don't like this use around personal issues, and it being used to hide stuff that isn't a personal issue. If you have a professional sportsman who's tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn't fall under personal issues for me.' 'That falls under you have broken your contract. That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life. Taking drugs - recreational or performance enhancing - is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he's already served his ban,' Paine said. Rabada, who is playing for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, had played just two matches before leaving the team in early April. He recently rejoined the camp but hasn't yet played another game. It's still unclear when he will return to action. The positive drug test was reportedly recorded during the SAT20 league in January. Paine wants more transparency Tim Paine said it's unfair that everything was kept under wraps for weeks, and now Rabada might return to competitive cricket without any clarity to the public. Rabada is expected to play for GT in their next match. 'Not only will play against Australia in the World Test Championship but he's available to be playing now in the IPL. No one knew about what he's taken, what he was given or who the organising body was that oversaw it,' Paine said. 'If he is going to take drugs and be caught doing it I think people deserve to know what he's taken, how long he is being rubbed out for and who sanctioned it. People need to be held to account for stuff like that,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rabada is a key player for South Africa and has played 241 international matches, including 70 Tests. There are speculations that he may still be available for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June.
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Business Standard
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Tim Paine criticizes lack of transparency in Rabada drug test case
Former Australia captain Tim Paine has slammed the lack of transparency surrounding Kagiso Rabada's failed drug test, calling for full disclosure from the authorities handling the matter. In a shocking revelation over the weekend, Rabada disclosed that he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned recreational drug. The South African pacer had left the IPL last month after playing two games for Gujarat Titans, citing personal reasons. "It stinks. I don't like this use around personal issues, and it being used to hide stuff that isn't a personal issue," Paine told 'SEN Radio' on Monday. "If you have a professional sportsman that's tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn't fall under personal issues for me. "That falls under you have broken your contract. That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life," he added. The positive test was recorded during the SAT20 league in January. "Taking drugs - recreational or performance enhancing - is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he's already served his ban," Paine said. According to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, the quantum of punishment for usage of recreational drug could be anything between three months to four years. While there is no clarity on when the pacer would return to action, it's been speculated that he may be eligible to represent South Africa at the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June. Rabada is an important member of the Proteas set-up having played 241 international games for South Africa across formats including 70 Tests. "Not only will play against Australia in the World Test Championship but he's available to be playing now in the IPL. No one knew about what he's taken, what he was given or who the organising body was that oversaw it. "If he is going to take drugs and be caught doing it I think people deserve to know what he's taken, how long he is being rubbed out for and who sanctioned it. People need to be held to account for stuff like that," Paine added. Substances such as cocaine, heroin, MDMA and cannabis fall in the category of 'Substances of Abuse'. WADA recognizes they can be taken out-of-competition for reasons unrelated to sports performance. The use of such drugs carry a maximum of four-year ban but if a sportsperson can prove that the use occurred out-of-competition and is not related to performance enhancement, the ban could be reduced to three months with no need to further analyze the degree of fault. The athlete's ban can be reduced to two months if he/she is willing to undertake a treatment program that is approved by South African Anti-Doping body. If the drug is taken in-competition but the athlete can prove the use was unrelated to performance, a two-year ban will be handed out as the infringement will be considered non-intentional.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
It stinks: Tim Paine slams secrecy around Rabada's failed drug test
Syndey, Former Australia captain Tim Paine has slammed the lack of transparency surrounding Kagiso Rabada's failed drug test, calling for full disclosure from the authorities handling the matter. In a shocking revelation over the weekend, Rabada disclosed that he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned recreational drug. The South African pacer had left the IPL last month after playing two games for Gujarat Titans, citing personal reasons. "It stinks. I don't like this use around personal issues, and it being used to hide stuff that isn't a personal issue," Paine told 'SEN Radio' on Monday. "If you have a professional sportsman that's tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn't fall under personal issues for me. "That falls under you have broken your contract. That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life," he added. The positive test was recorded during the SAT20 league in January. "Taking drugs - recreational or performance enhancing - is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he's already served his ban," Paine said. According to World Anti-Doping Agency code, the quantum of punishment for usage of recreational drug could be anything between three months to four years. While there is no clarity on when the pacer would return to action, it's been speculated that he may be eligible to represent South Africa at the World Test Championship final against Australia in June. Rabada is an important member of the Proteas set-up having played 241 international games for South Africa across formats including 70 Tests. "Not only will play against Australia in the World Test Championship but he's available to be playing now in the IPL. No one knew about what he's taken, what he was given or who the organising body was that oversaw it. "If he is going to take drugs and be caught doing it I think people deserve to know what he's taken, how long he is being rubbed out for and who sanctioned it. People need to be held to account for stuff like that," Paine added. Substances such as cocaine, heroin, MDMA and cannabis fall in the category of 'Substances of Abuse'. WADA recognizes they can be taken out-of-competition for reasons unrelated to sports performance. The use of such drugs carry a maximum of four-year ban but if a sportsperson can prove that the use occurred out-of-competition and is not related to performance enhancement, the ban could be reduced to three months with no need to further analyze the degree of fault. The athlete's ban can be reduced to two months if he/she is willing to undertake a treatment program that is approved by South African Anti-Doping body. If the drug is taken in-competition but the athlete can prove the use was unrelated to performance, a two-year ban will be handed out as the infringement will be considered non-intentional.
