Dhawan send-off was unnecessary, says Kagiso Rabada's father

South African speedster Kagiso Rabada was recently fined 15 per cent of his match fees for an indecent send off to Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan in the Port Elizabeth ODI. During the match, the Indian opener was going all guns blazing. Perhaps it was this reason that frustrated Rabada to a great extent. The moment he managed to get the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, he shouted ‘bye’ and even gestured Dhawan to walk back to the pavilion.

The ICC officials deemed the move to be against the spirit of the game, and hence, penalized him. And now, as per the recent quotes in the Deccan Chronicle, Kagiso Rabada’s father, Dr. Mpho Rabada, has also condemned the actions of his son. He backed the decision taken by the ICC to fine Kagiso for his actions. He called the send off to be an unnecessary one.

“Dhawan send-off was unnecessary. The player has not only to be within the law but live in the spirit of the game which is a higher than the minimum standard. The management used criterion to usher fines and we have to give them the benefit of doubts that they applied their minds and found a sanction that is in line with not living in the spirit of the game. I have faith in the administrators. Players say all kind of things. I am 100% against that. Let us let the ball do the talking,” Kagiso Rabada’s father quoted.

Play in the spirit of the game

Dr. Mpho reiterated his words and called the actions of Kagiso to be uncalled and unnecessary ones. He rightly cited that in the end every action of the player should be in the spirit of the game. The youngsters are bound to get emotional and animated on the field. But this certainly does not allow them to breach the levels of the sportsman spirit and the code of the game.

“(My son’s) action was unnecessary and uncalled for (even if there were words or actions from batsmen directed to him during play). A person is 100 per cent responsible for his own actions. The ultimate bar at the end is ALL has to be done in the greater spirit of the game. Young men and women have to always judge themselves against that threshold both on and off the field,” Dr. Mpho conceded.

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