Rabada’s Drug Use Case Involved Cocaine, Confirms Report

Rabada Tested Positive After SA20 Match at Kingsmead

Rabada was tested on January 21 during the SA20 tournament. He played the whole tournament for MI Cape Town and also represented South Africa in the Champions Trophy, all before knowing his test results. He was told about the positive result in late March and served a one-month ban from April 1 to May 1. This made him miss a big part of the IPL, but at the time, his absence was explained as due to personal reasons.

The same report mentioned that Rabada gave a urine sample on January 21 after the SA20 match between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead. When the test results came back, they showed traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), which is a substance left in the body after using cocaine. At that point, Rabada’s lawyers stepped in to help. They were able to prove that the 29-year-old cricketer had taken cocaine outside of competition, not on the day of the match. The report also said that the amount found in his sample was less than 1,000 nanograms per millilitre, so his legal team argued that he hadn’t used the drug on the day of the test.

Rabada Admits Drug Use, Returns to Play with CSA Support

On May 3, Rabada shared a statement through the South African Cricketers Association, where he admitted to using a recreational drug but didn’t give more details. By that time, he had already completed his punishment and returned to play in the IPL, appearing in two matches for the Gujarat Titans. After that, he joined the South African team for the World Test Championship final. Cricket South Africa (CSA), head coach Shukri Conrad, and captain Temba Bavuma have all supported him and said they consider the matter closed.

Rabada’s Words on his Issue

In his statement, he said, "I’m truly sorry to everyone I’ve disappointed. I’ll never take the honour of playing cricket for granted. It means more than just my own goals and dreams.”

Rabada was cleared by SAIDS last week after serving his one-month suspension. He also finished a learning program to help prevent future issues with substance use.

Now, Rabada is likely to be part of South Africa’s playing XI for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which will begin at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 11.