SA pace bowler Rabada tested positive for cocaine
Kagiso Rabada's one-month suspension after he failed a drug test was because the fast bowler tested positive for cocaine, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport has said.
Rabada, who was with the Gujarat Titans when he returned home from the Indian Premier League in April, admitted failing a drug test and apologised for his actions.
The 30-year-old, ranked No.2 in the Test bowler rankings, said he had returned an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug.
Rabada had been tested in January when he was playing in the SA20 for MI Cape Town and SAIDS said in a report published this week it had detected the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
Rabada returned from his suspension to play two matches for Gujarat, who finished third in the standings.
He is due to spearhead South Africa's bowling attack in the World Test Championship final at Lord's where they face Australia from June 11-15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Why the Wallabies weren't shocked to see the Pumas maul Lions
With a host of potential Test starters not featuring in Dublin, it was difficult to gauge what style the Lions will attempt to play in Australia, or even identify clear strengths and weaknesses. But Porecki said an undermanned Pumas provided some insights into how to take on the Lions. 'What Argentina did well was they physically went to work, especially in the pack. And they took opportunities in turnover, and you can see that in some of the tries they scored,' Porecki said. 'It's amazing how simple rugby is sometimes. If you take advantage of opportunities and you are physical, it can put you in the right place.' Porecki was last week named in his first Wallabies squad since the 2023 World Cup, after missing most of last year with a chronic Achilles tendon injury, and then withdrawing from consideration for the spring tour due to the arrival of twins. The Waratahs hooker was even captain of the Wallabies for much of the World Cup, and one of the sadder sights in a grim campaign was the ashen-faced Porecki sitting next to Eddie Jones as the coach was grilled on Japanese job interviews and the crushing losses. As ever, Porecki maintained a cool demeanour while doing media duties on Sunday, but after a frustrating break, he said he can't wait to try to earn his Wallabies No.2 jersey back. 'Obviously last year was difficult for me, missing most of the year. But I worked pretty hard and credit to the medical teams for getting it all right,' Porecki said. 'I feel good and body feels in a good place now and ready to just rip in. 'A lot has happened since then (the World Cup). That's a few years ago now. It's a completely new group as well. So that's the most exciting thing for me. It's a different energy to the one the last time I was in.' Porecki said the Wallabies' improvements made under Joe Schmidt were clear to see from outside the squad. 'You always want to be part of it. So if you're missing out on it, it's tough to watch. But at the same time, you know performances are what get you there.' Meanwhile, RA chief executive Phil Waugh said announcements are imminent about players for the AUNZ fixture against the Lions in Adelaide on Juy 12. Michael Hooper and Richie Mo'unga have already ruled themselves out, leading to concerns about the absence of star power for the Adelaide Oval clash, which is not sold out. 'We'll be accelerating those announcements post the Super Rugby final, and once Joe gets a position around his selections for Fiji, and we also get a good line of sight as to obviously All black selections and who may be available.' Loading The All Blacks name their squad to play against France on Monday. Waugh said he was 'very, very conscious' of the need to get some buzz brewing for the AUNZ and First Nations/Pasifca games. 'They're daily conversations in our daily stand-ups to ensure that we've got the right momentum with the marketing,' Waugh said. 'They're going to be awesome celebrations of rugby and people want certainty as to who is going to play. And so we'll make sure both teams are high quality and very competitive.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why the Wallabies weren't shocked to see the Pumas maul Lions
With a host of potential Test starters not featuring in Dublin, it was difficult to gauge what style the Lions will attempt to play in Australia, or even identify clear strengths and weaknesses. But Porecki said an undermanned Pumas provided some insights into how to take on the Lions. 'What Argentina did well was they physically went to work, especially in the pack. And they took opportunities in turnover, and you can see that in some of the tries they scored,' Porecki said. 'It's amazing how simple rugby is sometimes. If you take advantage of opportunities and you are physical, it can put you in the right place.' Porecki was last week named in his first Wallabies squad since the 2023 World Cup, after missing most of last year with a chronic Achilles tendon injury, and then withdrawing from consideration for the spring tour due to the arrival of twins. The Waratahs hooker was even captain of the Wallabies for much of the World Cup, and one of the sadder sights in a grim campaign was the ashen-faced Porecki sitting next to Eddie Jones as the coach was grilled on Japanese job interviews and the crushing losses. As ever, Porecki maintained a cool demeanour while doing media duties on Sunday, but after a frustrating break, he said he can't wait to try to earn his Wallabies No.2 jersey back. 'Obviously last year was difficult for me, missing most of the year. But I worked pretty hard and credit to the medical teams for getting it all right,' Porecki said. 'I feel good and body feels in a good place now and ready to just rip in. 'A lot has happened since then (the World Cup). That's a few years ago now. It's a completely new group as well. So that's the most exciting thing for me. It's a different energy to the one the last time I was in.' Porecki said the Wallabies' improvements made under Joe Schmidt were clear to see from outside the squad. 'You always want to be part of it. So if you're missing out on it, it's tough to watch. But at the same time, you know performances are what get you there.' Meanwhile, RA chief executive Phil Waugh said announcements are imminent about players for the AUNZ fixture against the Lions in Adelaide on Juy 12. Michael Hooper and Richie Mo'unga have already ruled themselves out, leading to concerns about the absence of star power for the Adelaide Oval clash, which is not sold out. 'We'll be accelerating those announcements post the Super Rugby final, and once Joe gets a position around his selections for Fiji, and we also get a good line of sight as to obviously All black selections and who may be available.' Loading The All Blacks name their squad to play against France on Monday. Waugh said he was 'very, very conscious' of the need to get some buzz brewing for the AUNZ and First Nations/Pasifca games. 'They're daily conversations in our daily stand-ups to ensure that we've got the right momentum with the marketing,' Waugh said. 'They're going to be awesome celebrations of rugby and people want certainty as to who is going to play. And so we'll make sure both teams are high quality and very competitive.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Take note Wallabies - Pumas made Lions look like lost cats
Bravo Argentina, who claimed a famous 28-24 win against the Lions in Dublin at the weekend. The excuses quickly flowed for the Lions, conveniently ignoring the fact that the magnificent Pumas were missing nine starters from the side that thrashed the Wallabies in Argentina last year. The reality is the Lions played with a hint of hubris, throwing needless offloads, and a hint of vulnerability, with their big South African winger Duhan van der Merwe second best in the aerial battles and their back row looking undersized with three natural opensides. But the main story really was about Argentina, whose players are scattered throughout the world but who consistently show a remarkable ability to come together quickly. They exposed the Lions' narrow defence, counterattacked with brilliance and scrambled as if their lives depended on it. They should have beaten Ireland on the same ground in November but are clearly a team on the up under a young and innovative coaching crew. Schmidt's already inside their heads On the eve of the Argentina game, the Lions' Australian 'general manager of performance' David Nucifora gave an unintentionally illuminating interview in which he talked about Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt. Nucifora admitted that he was an avid listener to Schmidt's interviews, trying to get a read on what he was thinking, with the two men knowing each other very well from their time in Ireland. Good luck with that, given Schmidt's habit of qualifying everything that he says. But Nucifora's attempted Kremlinology shows the Lions have a degree of wariness about Schmidt and what he might be planning. Based on what they dished up against Argentina, with captain Maro Itoje decrying it as 'tippy tappy' rugby, their energy would be better spent elsewhere. Lions scrum was good - but only to a point Argentina's scrum has been a weakness for years, so the penalties won by the Lions in Dublin for most of the game wouldn't have surprised or alarmed Schmidt or Wallabies scrum guru Mike Cron. However, they will have noted that when the Lions tried to use their scrum in the latter stages to squeeze Los Pumas when it really mattered, they got no joy. At that point, the Lions forwards had clearly decided the backs were running around like headless chooks and they would need to win the game themselves, but with replacements Tadhg Furlong and Pierre Schoeman on the field there were a couple of messy, evenly contested scrums. Furlong is world-class but hasn't played since early May and is clearly some way off his best. Super Rugby's No 10 myth busted Super Rugby Pacific is arguably the most forward-oriented competition in the world, at least when it counts in the winter months when the playoffs occur. For the second season in a row, the winners (the Crusaders on Saturday) did so without a Test 10, never mind a world-class one. It was the same last year, when the Blues won the comp with the then-uncapped Harry Plummer (he went on to win a solitary cap for the All Blacks with five minutes off the bench against the Wallabies in Sydney). Contrast that with other major comps this year. The Top 14 final will be between Toulouse and Bordeaux (and their French No 10s Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert), the English Premiership was won by Bath (Scotland and Lions No 10 Finn Russell), the URC was won by Leinster (Ireland No 10 Sam Prendergast) and Japan Rugby League One by Toshiba (and their No 10 Richie Mo'unga). Super is won by tight fives - there wasn't a single minute of the Crusaders-Chiefs final on Saturday when the Crusaders weren't operating with an all-All Blacks front row.
