Kagiso Rabada's Fitness in Question Ahead of Australia Test Series
Rabada's Fitness Update
South Africa is set to give pace bowler Kagiso Rabada until the beginning of the first Test against Australia to demonstrate his fitness. This match marks the start of a three-match series commencing on October 9 at Kingsmead.
Rabada has not participated in any matches since his appearance for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the end of May. The right-arm fast bowler is working hard to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during training in August.
Last month, South Africa's coach Shukri Conrad mentioned that Rabada's recovery was on track. The 31-year-old was spotted bowling in the nets during a training session on Wednesday, just ahead of the first Test in Durban.
Decision on Rabada's Participation
Proteas teammate Simon Harmer suggested that a final determination regarding Rabada's participation might only be made shortly before the first Test begins.
"Everyone is eager for him to play, including the fans, us in the locker room, and the Australians. I can't say exactly where he stands right now," Harmer stated. "A decision will likely be made as close to the match as possible. He consistently proves to be a world-class player and will undoubtedly enhance our team," he added.
Harmer also noted that even if Rabada is unable to play in the first Test, there will be ample opportunities in the upcoming months for him to contribute at the Test level.
"I genuinely hope he can participate in the first Test, but there is a lot of cricket scheduled this summer. We don't want to jeopardize long-term health for a short-term game," Harmer remarked.
Upcoming Matches for South Africa
Following their home series against Australia, South Africa will compete against Bangladesh in a two-match series in November, followed by a three-match home series against England in December. They aim to defend the World Test Championship (WTC) mace, which they secured for the first time against Australia at Lord's last year.