South Africa cricket chiefs roast Tim Paine over Kagiso Rabada comments

Former Australia captain Tim Paine has hit back at a roasting from South African cricket chiefs over his scorching criticism of Kagiso Rabada’s drug suspension, setting the scene for an explosive World Test Championship Final.

Tim Paine has hit back at South African cricket chiefs following their bizarre attempts to whip his criticism of Kagiso Rabada’s drug ban cover-up into more than what it was.

Rabada will be free to spearhead South Africa’s attack at next month’s showpiece World Test Championship decider at Lord’s despite testing positive to a recreational drug – reportedly cocaine.

The head of the South African players’ union took the extraordinary measure of issuing a press release through a PR firm to take a swipe at Paine.

In comments made two weeks ago, Paine was damning of the fact Rabada did not have to disclose the real reason he was forced to leave the Indian Premier League, instead citing “personal reasons” for his mysterious departure.

The former Australian captain said the process “stinks” - but he was talking about the cover up not the crime.

South African Cricketers Association boss Andrew Breetzke appeared to ignore that context and slammed Paine as being “naïve” and “misinformed” - insisting Rabada’s secret one-month ban was entirely above board.

Kagiso Rabada is free to play the WTC Final despite testing positive for a recreational drug. Picture: William West/AFP

“The criticism that’s coming from Australia is somewhat naïve and lacks understanding of how doping processes are managed,” Breetzke told SportsBoom.

“Effectively, he (Rabada) was notified on the first of April of the positive test and we consulted with him on the first of April for the first time. In accordance with the SAIDS and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules, there is a clear process that follows out of that, and we started that process immediately with him flying back to South Africa, getting the legal team together, the medical experts together and started the process relative to the rules.

“That’s exactly how it played out. It played out as it must in terms of the rules.”

Paine said he didn’t need a lecture on the processes followed by WADA after 20 years in professional sport.

He was stunned when the page-long PR email taking a shot at him for comments made nearly two weeks ago arrived in the inbox of his co-host Brent Costello before starting their Tasmanian breakfast radio show on Tuesday morning.

The successful SEN Radio host said he never had an issue with Rabada only receiving a month-long ban, and that his criticism was only directed at Rabada passing off his forced return from the IPL as “personal reasons” when it was really an anti-doping forced suspension.

“I have no issue with the ban, I’m very familiar with how WADA operates,” said a bemused Paine.

Kagiso Rabada was in the thick of the action during the controversial Sandpapergate series. Picture: Michael Sheehan/AP Photo

“My issue was with him being able to use ‘personal reasons’ as an excuse. It’s misleading and it takes fans of the game for granted.

“Never at any point did I question the suspension handed down and to intimate that is incorrect.

“I have no issue with the ban or process.

“It’s misleading and lacked accountability”

Rabada’s loophole to be back playing so quickly and to clear his name for the WTC Final against Australia comes down to the fact he tested positive outside competition and committed himself to a designated counselling program.

Had Rabada tested positive during a tournament he would have copped two years.

If he hadn’t agreed to counselling, he would have been forced to sit out at least three months.

But instead, Rabada – a noted antagonist of Australia dating back to the Sandpapergate series of 2018 – is free to have another crack at Steve Smith at the home of cricket to decide the world champions of Test cricket.

“We ticked off those boxes, and that’s how the process unfolded over the month of April,” Breetzke said.

“It was professionally dealt with, and KG was absolutely professional, open and honest in the process, which is why we were able to do it within that time frame.”

Originally published as South Africa cricket chiefs roast Tim Paine over Kagiso Rabada comments