South Africa bowler Kagiso Rabada reveals he is serving a provisional suspension for drug use

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s key pace bowler, has revealed he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a recreational drug.

Set to be the spearhead for the Proteas in the World Test Championship final against champions Australia at Lord’s next month, the paceman’s immediate future remains unclear.

Rabada, who sits second in the International Cricket Council Test bowling rankings, went back home after playing just two matches with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League last month.

The Titans said at the time he had done so to tend to an “important personal matter” and the 29-year-old has now disclosed this was due to returning an adverse analytical finding for a recreational substance.

Rabada expressed his regret at his actions and is already looking at drawing a line under the incident although it is unclear when he will be able to resume his career as no formal suspension has been announced by either the IPL or the International Cricket Council.

“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down,” he said in a statement released by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), the country’s players’ union.

“I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations.

“I am serving a provisional suspension and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love playing.

“I couldn’t have gone through this alone. I’d like to thank my agent, Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Gujarat Titans for their support. I’d also like to thank SACA and my legal team for their guidance and counsel. Most importantly I’d like to thank my friends and family for their understanding and love.

“Moving forward, this moment will not define me. I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft.”

Rabada underlined his status as South Africa’s pace spearhead and one of the world’s finest bowlers when he became the quickest to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled in October last year.

He briefly shot back up to the top of the ICC’s Test bowling standings, having first gone to the summit in January 2018, but he has since been leapfrogged by India’s Jasprit Bumrah.

Rabada has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22 from just 70 Tests while he has amassed a further 168 dismissals in 108 ODIs and 71 in 65 T20 internationals.