SA vs ENG | Kagiso Rabada took it little too far, but rules are concerning, said Mark Boucher
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South Africa coach Mark Boucher has said that he accepts that his strike bowler Kagiso Rabada may have taken a little too far while celebrating Joe Rootâs wicket. However, Boucher raised his concerns about cricket's disciplinary regulations as Rabada was handed a one-match ban for his actions.
Kagiso Rabada had been toiling away all day and finally, he had his reward: a good length ball with slight away movement, hitting the top of off stump to remove Joe Root at a crucial point in the dayâs play. Rabadaâs relief and ecstasy at that moment was evident in the celebration that followed. However, the ICC ruled it a breach of their code of conduct and has ended up handing the 25-year-old an automatic one-match ban. The ban â courtesy of incurring a fourth demerit point in a 24-month period â means he will miss the fourth and final Test against England in Johannesburg next week.Â
"Sometimes the emotions overflow so the rules and regulations are a little disappointing but if you know the rules and regulations you have to stick to them. KG (Rabada) knows what he can and cannot do and he maybe pushed a little far,â Boucher told AFP.
"I am concerned, to be honest. You don't want to take all the aggression out of the game. You've got two countries playing against each other in a heated situation. Guys are trying really hard," he added.Â
But the Proteas coach also acknowledged that Rabada should have been more aware that his previous transgressions had put him in danger of a ban. The worldâs No.4 bowler was also fined 15 percent of his match fee, and Boucher now has to find a way to manage his strike bowlers' aggressive style in the matches ahead.
"I think KG probably bowls at his best when he is nice and aggressive so it's trying to find a balance of keeping him aggressive and not boxing him in, but also understanding the laws of the game and trying to keep him on the good side of it. It is going to be tough but it is something we are going to have to address and get a very good balance."
With South Africa in danger of losing the third Test and going 1-2 down in the series, Rabadaâs absence at the Wanderers will be a massive blow.
