Rabada to appeal guilty verdict

Kagiso Rabada is appealing the guilty verdict handed to him by ICC for breaching their code of conduct in a last-ditch bid to be able to play in the rest of the gripping Test series against Australia.

Rabada was found guilty of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player” after leaning with his shoulder into Steve Smith when he dismissed the Australia captain in the first innings of the second Test.

The ICC has 48 hours to appoint a commissioner and a hearing will be heard within a seven-day period.

Rabada will remain suspended unless the commissioner takes a decision to allow him to play in the third Test in Cape Town starting on March 22. Although there was contact made with Smith, Rabada maintains that it was accidental and at the time he was not even aware he had brushed against his opponent.

Smith has suggested Australia wanted Rabada to play the rest of the series. “He’s a world class bowler and you want to come up against the best,” Smith said.