Share

'Refreshed' Rabada ready to face Australia

Cape Town - Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt believes that fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will be buoyed by his long break ahead of the Australia home series.

This series will see Rabada's first appearance since his one match ban in the Tests against England which saw him miss out at the Wanderers.

The 24-year-old was then rested for the drawn ODI series and the Proteas' 2-1 T20 loss to Eoin Morgan's men.

On Friday, Rabada will return to action for the first of three T20s against Australia at the Wanderers.

Langeveldt believes that the month break will do a lot of good for Rabada.

"Renewed focus is good thing with a bit of a break. A 24-year-old, who's playing for his country, is always under pressure," Langeveldt told reporters in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

"Hopefully he brings that pace as it's always difficult to deal with at the back-end of an innings.... Hopefully he'll bring the energy as well."

It's been two years since Australia's horrid tour of South Africa in 2018.

Prior to ball-tampering Test at Newlands, Rabada was subsequently suspended for the final two Tests in that series but saw his ban overturned.

Langeveldt admitted that Rabada needs to find a way to control his aggression but backed him to go hard at the Australians.

"KG is competitive by nature, he is a wicket-taker... We'll definitely make him use a few bumpers but it's also about him controlling the aggression... I back him to find a balance, being aggressive with lines and lengths."

Play on Friday is scheduled for 18:00.

Proteas T20 squad v Australia:

Quinton de Kock (captain, wicketkeeper), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Pite van Biljon, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Jon-Jon Smuts, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Anrich Nortje, Dale Steyn, Heinrich Klaasen

- Compiled by Lynn Butler

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1802 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1766 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1067 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 449 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 248 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE