When Kagiso Rabada announced he had tested positive for a banned substance over the weekend, I was worried it was a performance-enhancing drug.
That turned out not to be the case, as the 29-year-old confirmed in his statement that it was a recreational drug.
That, in my opinion, is far less serious. It reminded me of when Herschelle Gibbs was fined for smoking marijuana back in 2001 after beating hosts West Indies in a Test series.
In fact, though most people remember Gibbs for this incident, other teammates Roger Telemachus, Paul Adams, Justin Kemp, and Andre Nel were also guilty of ‘smoking grass’ alongside the talented Proteas top order batsman.
Kagiso Rabada Cleared to Play After SAIDS Ruling: ‘This Moment Will Not Define Me’
Though I’m willing to be that was not the first or last time Gibbs was a naughty boy, I’d be willing to bet it could well be for Rabada.
There’s probably no greater athlete in South African cricket at the moment than Rabada, but he’s still human and he made a big mistake.
In a poll conducted on the WhatsApp channel on Monday, 70% of people believed Rabada should face no further reprimand.
It was also confirmed on Monday afternoon that Rabada had already been cleared to return to action for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sports (SAIDS).
The matter then, seems ready to be put to bed as Rabada himself said as much in his statement: “Moving forward, this moment will not define me.”
That, for me, shows that Rabada will have learnt from the incident, and he will never want to put playing the sport that he loves in jeopardy again.
After he’s hung up spikes, maybe then he can give Gibbs a call.
@Michael_Sherman
Sport
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