Johannesburg: A day after Kagiso Rabada was handed a two-Test suspension, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has slammed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision against the South African star speedster.
Rabada was suspended for South Africa’s remaining two Tests of the four-match series against Australia after being found guilty of a Level 2 ICC Code of Conduct offence of ‘inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player’.
The incident happened in the 52nd over of Australia’s first innings of the second Test, when moving towards the slips, Rabada made physical contact with Steve Smith, with his shoulder.
He has received a fine of 50 percent of his match fee and three demerit points after a disciplinary hearing following his denial of the charge.
Rabada had accepted a second charge under 2.1.7 of the code – using language, actions or gestures which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his or her dismissal,Sport24 reported.
Taking to his official Twitter account, Pietersen questioned the current state of Test cricket and voiced his outrage at the ICC’s decision.
Pietersen wrote that he was pretty happy not to be playing Test cricket in the current scenario.
“I’m pretty happy not to be playing Test cricket when you scream a couple times with passion, give a few sends off & then get banned! My baptism into Test cricket in 2005 was a WHOLE lot worse! And, that’s what made it fun, competitive & separated men from boys!,” the 37-year-old tweeted.
“SICK & TIRED of sledging chat still going on! It’s TEST cricket. You’re not going to stop it! Red blooded males going head to head in a sporting arena. Tempers will flare! Let them sort it out themselves! They’re all big boys!,” he added.
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/973435983910834177
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/973090399073030144
In Rabada’s absence, South Africa are most likely to rope in Morne Morkel for the third Test of the four-match series at Newlands on March 22. (ANI)