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Cape Town - Proteas star bowler Kagiso Rabada admits that he had let not only his team down but himself after copping a two-match Test ban.
TIMELINE: Rabada's route to suspension
Rabada produced a scintillating bowling display when he returned figures of 5/96 and 5/64 as he led the Proteas to a six-wicket victory in the second Test at St. George's Park.
However, his jubilant and extreme celebrations of the wickets of skipper Steve Smith in the first innings and David Warner in the second innings, has led the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend the South African.
With Smith's dismissal, Rabada was seen as brushing the Australian skipper's shoulders after dismissing him in the first innings. Later in the second innings, Rabada reportedly shouted, "Yes, yes, yes" in Warner's face after bowling the batsman out.
The two-match Test ban will see Rabada missing the Test match at Newlands and Wanderers.
Speaking after the Proteas win in Port Elizabeth on Monday, Rabada stated that he did not deliberately brush shoulders with Smith.
"If I knew that I did it deliberately then I wouldn't have gone to contest it, but honestly I didn't even feel contact in that moment because I was so pumped up," said Rabada.
"I didn't feel anything at all. If I did it deliberately then I never would've contested it.
"It's like in the Lord's incident with the (Ben) Stokes, I didn't try and appeal that because I knew I did it."
The 22-year-old admitted that he has only himself to blame and let his team down.
"But it's got to stop, because I'm letting the team and myself down," said Rabada.
"It's bittersweet, I would've loved to be playing in the next game. Especially coming from a performance like that, I feel really good in this Test match. But we have some quality bowlers ready for Newlands and I'm sure (Morne) Morkel who is a quality fast bowler will be up for it."
Despite the ban Rabada stated that he won't change the way he expresses himself.
"I won't change the way I express myself, I'll just get far away from the batter," he said.
"I'll have to see it as a big learning curve and not keep 'repeating the same mistakes' in the eyes of the umpires. I'm not happy about it, but time moves on."
