South Africa cricket chiefs roast Tim Paine over Kagiso Rabada comments

South African cricket chiefs have slammed former Australia captain Tim Paine over his scorching criticism of Kagiso Rabada’s drug suspension, setting the scene for an explosive World Test Championship Final.

South African cricket chiefs have slammed Tim Paine over his criticism of Kagiso Rabada’s drug suspension, lighting the fuse for an explosive World Test Championship Final.

Rabada will be free to spearhead South Africa’s attack at next month’s showpiece decider at Lord’s despite testing positive to a recreational drug – reportedly cocaine – a process former Australian captain Paine said “stinks”.

Paine was damning on 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.

South African Cricketers Association boss Andrew Breetzke has hit back at Paine as being “naive” and “misinformed” and insists Rabada’s secret one-month ban was entirely above board.

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

“The criticism that’s coming from Australia is somewhat naive 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.”

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.

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

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