SA vs ENG: Kagiso Rabada suspended from 4th Test match

South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has been suspended for the fourth Test against England after accumulating four demerit points. The latest addition in his tally came after his furious celebration in the ongoing Test match at Port Elizabeth. After going through Joe Root’s defence, Rabada screamed and unleashed his anger near the dismissed batsman. ICC gave their verdict in a media release.

Is this worthy of a ban?

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada will miss 4th Test after his celebration yesterday.

Maybe a tad harsh?

? @SkyCricket #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/c2Zn3Bvuui

— Marathonbet (@marathonbet) January 17, 2020

“South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada has been fined 15% of his 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 the first day of the 3rd Test match against England in Port Elizabeth on Thursday,” ICC release stated.

Also read: SA vs ENG: 2nd Test – Key talking points as visitors level series

As per ICC, the celebration violated 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”.

Not the first offence

The 24-year old pacer has been guilty of aggressive celebrations in the past as well. Two of his three previous demerit points occurred in the Australia-South Africa series which culminated in the Sandpaper incident. The third was against Shikhar Dhawan in the fifth ODI of the 2018 tour.

This is also the second time that ICC has suspended Rabada on the basis of an accumulation of demerit points. Cricket’s governing body previously banned him during South Africa’s tour of England in 2017. He then missed the second Test of the series played at Trent Bridge.