Rabada ruled out of Australia ODIs, doubtful for Tests

A questionable hamstring appears to be hanging over Kagiso Rabada's chances of playing a significant role in the rest of South Africa's World Test Championship title defense. He is already out of a one-day international series against Australia next month.

On August 21, CSA said Rabada’s “winter training programme has been disrupted after he sustained a right hamstring injury during training earlier this week. He is currently being monitored by the Proteas medical team and will undergo further assessments.”

On Sunday, an Afrikaans-language website called Rapport quoted Allan Donald, Rabada's Lions bowling coach, as saying, "our physio has established that he would be on the sidelines for nine or 10 weeks because of a grade-three tear to his right hamstring." This seemed to clarify the vagueness of that statement.

That would rule Rabada out of contention for all or most of South Africa's three October Tests against Australia. From August 21 to October 16, we have ten weeks. The series is scheduled to begin on October 9 at Kingsmead and conclude on October 31 at Newlands.

When contacted for clarification, the CSA provided the following response: "Kagiso Rabada is currently progressing through the early stages of his rehabilitation from a right hamstring injury under the close supervision of the CSA medical team." He will miss the three-match ODI series against Australia, scheduled from September 24 to 30. His availability for the Test series against Australia will depend on how he progresses through his rehabilitation, with a decision on his selection to be made closer to the series.”

Rabada has taken 340 wickets at a rate of 22.03 in 73 Tests, making him the most successful active bowler in South Africa. He is the driving force behind their attack, especially on the faster surfaces where his team will play the majority of their matches leading up to the WTC final at The Oval in June.

To be certain of reaching the final, South Africa must win seven of the ten Tests they play against the Australians, England, and Bangladesh, all of which are played at home, and in Sri Lanka from November to March of next year.

In the 2-2 Pakistani series in October, Rabada only took four wickets in 56 overs. A month later, he missed South Africa's 2-0 victory over India due to a rib injury. However, he took 5/51 and 4/59 to help them beat Australia by five wickets in the Lord's final in June.

Losing his talent, skill, experience and sheer presence for the Australia series would be a serious blow. He was the best bowler for either team in his only other match against them at home, the tumultuous Sandpapergate series in March and April of 2018. He took 23 wickets at a rate of 19.26. In the first Test at Kingsmead, he scored nine runs, while in the second match at St. George's Park, he scored eleven.

But South Africa’s pace stocks run deep, even if Nandré Burger is out with a back injury and Lutho Sipamla has been removed from the Namibia T20I triseries with his own hamstring issue.

Gerald Coetzee has struggled with a variety of injuries, but he is currently healthy and playing well. Last week, he played 11 and 7.2 overs in a four-day match in Pretoria between the South Africa A team and the Bangladesh A team, taking 3/31 and 1/29. The growth in twenty-year-old Kwena Maphaka’s confidence and control was apparent on an A tour to England in June, when he took three wickets at an economy rate of 4.23 in two list A games. Against Zimbabwe in Windhoek on Saturday, he bowled all of his overs and claimed 1/24.

Duan Jansen, the twin brother of Marco Jansen — Rabada’s new-ball partner — made a decent start to his international career in Namibia, where he took 2/32 against the home side on Friday and 3/45 against the Zimbabweans a day later.
Eathan Bosch made his debut in the latter match. Watched from the stands by his brother, Corbin Bosch, he took 1/20 in four overs.

Since he took 5/36 and 1/48 against the West Indies at Centurion in February and March 2023, Anrich Nortjé has not played a first-class match. Might he be a project for Shukri Conrad, player whisperer?

On top of that, how Lungi Ngidi’s mastery of the slower ball in white-ball cricket might translate into the Test arena is eagerly anticipated.

None of which can subvert the truth that Rabada is South Africa’s best fast bowler. But it is just as true that others are available.