SACA Boss Andrew Breetzke Hits Back at Tim Paine Over Kagiso Rabada Doping Comments

Andrew Breetzke, CEO of the South African Cricketers' Association, calls Tim Paine naive and lacking understanding for questioning Kagiso Rabada's integrity and the honour of the process that was followed in resolving the fast bowler's recent drug suspension. 

Tim Paine's Comments

We are less than a month away from the first ball of the World Test Championship final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's in London.

And already, there is drama leading into the final. The Kagiso Rabada drug-related scandal is now surrounding the fixture and could make for an interesting match between the two sides.

Former Australia captain, Tim Paine, has been quoted on SEN Radio saying that the way the drug scandal was handled "stinks." 

That is all because Rabada did not disclose his reasons for leaving the Indian Premier League (IPL) as being drug-related, as the fast bowler cited "personal reasons" for his early departure.

It has since been revealed that the 29-year-old flew back to South Africa last month to address the situation with the South African Institute for Drug Free Sports (SAIDS) and had the South African Cricketers' Association's (SACA) assistance.

Given Paine's comments, SACA's Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Breetzke, told Sportsboom.co.za that Paine lacks understanding.

"The criticism that's coming from Australia is somewhat naive and lacks understanding of how doping processes are managed," Breetzke told Sportsboom.co.za.

Rabada's availability for the WTC final next month dramatically boosts South Africa's chances of beating Australia, and Paine's comments may suggest that he is wary of the damage the fast bowler could do to the Australian Test batters. 

The process followed

Rabada proved that he took the substance out of competition and attended a counselling program that reduced his suspension to one month, which means that the fast bowler will be available for the WTC final at Lord's next month.

Breetzke emphasised that the fast bowler was professional, open and honest throughout the process.

"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. 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," said Breetzke.

"That's exactly how it played out. It played out as it must in terms of the rules. When someone tests positive for substance of abuse, the rules are pretty clear, if it's taken in competition, it's a two year suspension, if you can prove it's out of competition you can get it down to three months and if you go into a designated counselling program you can get it down to one month."

"We ticked off those boxes, and that's how the process unfolded over the month of April. It was professionally dealt with, and KG was absolutely professional, open and honest in the process, which is why we were able to do it within that time frame."

As Breetzke highlighted, the process followed was by no means a secret, as some reports have suggested. 

Is there a reason for concern

With Rabada being a high-profile sportsman in the country, the situation could lead to many believing that there needs to be concern around the use of banned substances in the sport in the country.

However, Breetzke believes there is no reason for concern.

"In cricket, there aren't many doping cases. We've had six cases in South Africa in probably the last ten years. All players every year go through anti-doping education through us. That's standard," said Breetzke.

"Integrity in cricket is based on two elements, there's the anti-doping regulations and there's the anti-corruption regulations. In the list of high-risk sports in doping, cricket is not high on this."