South Africa’s premier fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada has received a fine of 15% match fee and has also received one demerit point after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during Day 1 of the 3rd Test match against England in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.
Rabada was found in the breach of Article 2.5 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his or her dismissal during an international match”.
The charge relates to Rabada using some verbal swear following the dismissal of Joe Root. After the day’s play, Rabada admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.
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Kagiso now has four demerit points under his belt in a 24 month period and as such will miss South Africa’s next Test match. The charge was leveled by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Bruce Oxenford and third umpire Joel Wilson as well as fourth umpire Allahudien Paleker. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official suspension, a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Previously, Rabada was fined on three occasions and this turns out to be his fourth demerit point in the last 2 years. He was first fined 15% of match fee during the ODI series against India in February 2018. The offense was similar to the one he has been charged on this occasion. In March 2018, his actions were deemed contrary to the spirit of the game against Steve Smith during the Test series against Australia.
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In the same Test match, he was again charged for giving an aggressive send-off to David Warner. South Africa will now miss their premier pacer in the fourth and final Test match of the series following his recent offense.