Rabada should win it all!

Kagiso Rabada celebrates after dismissing India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. File Photo: Adnan Abidi

Kagiso Rabada celebrates after dismissing India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. File Photo: Adnan Abidi

Published Jul 26, 2016

Share

Johannesburg - In what was a largely mediocre year for the South African cricket team, Kagiso Rabada’s individual displays provided moments of excellence that made him stand apart from more illustrious teammates.

It came as no surprise that he received the most nominations for Tuesday night’s Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards, nor would it be a surprise were he to walk away with the most trophies, including the prestigious Player of the Year Award title.

Rabada’s rapid rise though has been surprising.

At 21, he has looked like he belongs and he has managed to find the balance between expectation, performance and fame.

Across all three formats Rabada has made an impact, but the longest lasting ones have been in the 50 over game and in Test cricket.

On the face of it, there won’t be too much to celebrate at this year’s Awards, which would have made it a particularly difficult one for the six man judging panel that included the national team’s former wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, to assess.

The South Africa team won less than half the matches they played in the last year and just one Test match out of 10, going winless in all three Test series’ in the period considered for this year’s awards.

The single Test match win against England at Centurion was largely down to the incredible efforts of Rabada, whose match figures of 13/144, are the second best by a South African in the five day format.

Initially, he was given his opportunity in the senior side for the T20s and One-Day Internationals in Bangladesh last year.

And Rabada made an immediate impact, claiming a hat-trick on his ODI debut, that also concluded with figures of 6/16, at the time the best by a South Africa in 50 over cricket.

Arguably his best performance to date in ODIs came in the first match of the series against India in Kanpur last October where, in a frenzied atmosphere, he maintained his composure and defended 11 runs in the final over against Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Rabada finds himself free of any blame for the poor performances the national side has produced in the last 12 months.

South Africa has struggled with injuries to key players for lengthy periods, faced difficult conditions in India and a very good England team on home soil in the summer.

Leadership was confusing and at times lacking and it is hoped a period of stability in that category – under AB de Villiers – might help to restore some consistency in the future.

In the meanwhile, although the mood at tonight’s ceremony won’t be as celebratory as for other Award evenings recently, it will offer some time to reflect on what was a remarkable season for young Rabada. On his broad shoulders much of the future of the national side will depend.

MAIN PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES

T20 INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER OF THE YEAR: Hashim Amla; Imran Tahir; JP Duminy

ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR: Quinton de Kock; Kagiso Rabada; AB de Villiers

TEST CRICKETER OF THE YEAR: Hashim Amla; Temba Bavuma; Kagiso Rabada

WOMEN’S CRICKETER OF THE YEAR: Trisha Chetty; Lizelle Lee; Dane van Niekerk

SA CRICKETER OF THE YEAR: Hashim Amla; AB de Villiers; Kagiso Rabada; Quinton de Kock; Imran Tahir

The Star

Related Topics: