Kagiso Rabada not out of the woods just yet

On Monday, the South African Institute for Drug-free Sport issued a statement announcing the lifting of the ban after the pacer satisfactorily completed two sessions of a substance abuse treatment programme. 

However, the organisation’s CEO Khalid Galant has now told SABC Sport that there is a 30-day period provisioned for any appeals to the sanction that has been handed down, effectively meaning Rabada may yet find himself being iced out for more than just a month.

“The case is considered closed, however, there is a 30-day period for appeals. The people who have the right to appeal would be the International Cricket Council and the World Anti-Doping Agency. If they choose to exercise the right to appeal the sanction or decision that SAIDS handed down, they will have 30 days from when it was rendered”, revealed Galant.

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He went on to say that illicit or recreational drugs are classified differently and banned in competition, while performance-enhancing drugs are banned both in and out of competition. He explained why this is the case.

“The rationale behind illicit drugs such a cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and ecstasy being banned in sport is that it is considered against the spirit of sport, and especially with well-known athletes, in terms of character, education, and excellence in performance. It is deemed that these drugs that fall under substance abuse are harmful to the spirit of sport and obviously a danger to the athletes’ health”.

Rabada failed the drug test after an SA20 match between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants in January. He is currently back with his IPL side Gujarat Titans in India.