Kagiso Rabada hamstring injury casts doubt over South Africa's Australia Test series
Kagiso Rabada suffered a right hamstring injury during training earlier this month, putting his participation in South Africa's three-Test series against Australia in doubt. The first Test is scheduled to begin at Kingsmead on October 9.
Cricket South Africa said on August 21 that Rabada's winter training programme had been disrupted and that he was being monitored by the Proteas medical team. Afrikaans-language publication Rapport quoted Allan Donald, Rabada's bowling coach at the Lions, as saying the fast bowler could be sidelined for nine to 10 weeks after suffering a grade-three tear. Ten weeks from August 21 takes his recovery timeline to October 30, while the series is scheduled to finish at Newlands on October 31. "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," CSA said. "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 is South Africa's leading wicket-taker among active bowlers, with 340 wickets at 22.03 in 73 Tests, and he has been described in the source material as the spearhead of their pace attack. His potential absence against Australia has been framed in the reporting as a major concern for the side.
The broader World Test Championship context was outlined in the source: South Africa need to win seven of their next 10 Tests — against Australia, England and Bangladesh at home and Sri Lanka away — to guarantee a place in the WTC final at The Oval next June.
Recent form and fitness issues were documented in the original reporting: Rabada took only four wickets in 56 overs during the drawn two-Test series in Pakistan last October and a subsequent rib injury ruled him out of South Africa's 2-0 series win in India a month later. He was a central figure in the WTC final at Lord's last June, taking five for 51 in the first innings and four for 59 in the second as South Africa secured a five-wicket victory and lifted the title.
The source recalled Rabada's 2018 tour of South Africa as a previous high point against Australia, noting he finished that series with 23 wickets at 19.26, taking nine in the first Test at Kingsmead and 11 in the second at St George's Park.
South Africa's pace options were listed in the material: Nandre Burger is currently sidelined with a back injury; Gerald Coetzee is fit and showed readiness in a four-day match between South Africa A and Bangladesh A in Pretoria last week, bowling 11 overs in the first innings and 7.2 in the second, taking three for 31 and one for 29; 20-year-old Kwena Maphaka impressed on South Africa A's tour of England in June and bowled his full quota of four overs for one wicket for 24 runs in a T20I tri-series match against Zimbabwe in Windhoek on Saturday; Duan Jansen took two for 32 against Namibia on Friday and three for 45 against Zimbabwe the following day; Lungi Ngidi was also mentioned as a possibility because of his slower-ball skills in white-ball cricket.
If Allan Donald's nine-to-ten-week estimate proves accurate, Rabada could miss most or all of the three-Test series; CSA has said his availability for the Tests will depend on how he progresses through rehabilitation and that a decision on his selection will be made closer to the series.
