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South Africa Cricketers’ Association (SACA) chief Andrew Breetzke has launched a scathing attack on former Australia captain Tim Paine for his remarks regarding fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s drug ban.
Kagiso Rabada served a one-month ban for recreational drug use during the SA20 earlier this year. According to a report in the South African newspaper Rapport, traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine, were found in his urine sample.
Rabada suddenly left the Indian Premier League (IPL) after playing only twice for the Gujarat Titans to return home last month. On his return, he completed an education and awareness programme to prevent further substance abuse
Later, the South African fast bowler apologized for the use of the drug while emphasizing that he would never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted.
“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down. I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations,” he said in a statement.
A day earlier, Tim Paine expressed disappointment with Rabada’s comeback, following the ban. He said that when a professional athlete tests positive for recreational drugs during a tournament, it shouldn’t be label a personal issue.
“It stinks.” “I don’t like this use around personal issues, and it is being used to hide stuff that isn’t a personal issue,” he said on a Radio show.”
“If you have a professional sportsman who’s tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn’t fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you having broken your contract. That is not a personal issue; that is something that is happening in your personal life,” he added.
Now, SACA CEO Breetzke slammed Paine for his remarks, calling it ‘naive’.
“The criticism that’s coming from Australia is somewhat naive and lacks understanding of how doping processes are managed,” he said.
“Effectively, he [Rabada] was notified on the first of April of the positive test, and we consulted with him on the 1st of April for the first time,” he added.
SACA chief also highlighted the process following a doping ban, stressing the rules while acknowledging Kagiso Rabada’s professionalism
“In accordance with the SAIDS and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules, there is a clear process that follows out of that, and we started that process immediately with him flying back to South Africa, getting the legal team together, the medical experts together and started the process relative to the rules,” explained Breetzke.
“We ticked off those boxes, and that’s how the process unfolded over the month of April. It was professionally dealt with, and KG [Rabada] was absolutely professional, open, and honest in the process, which is why we were able to do it within that time frame,” Breetzke concluded.
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