Australia assistant coach Brad Haddin believes Kagiso Rabada’s absence from the remainder of the series against South Africa will give them a boost.
The 22-year-old South African was suspended for two Test matches after accumulating eight demerit points following his latest charges regarding the manner of his send-offs during the second Test against Australia at St George’s Park.
READ MORE: Smith: We want Rabada to play
‘It’s disappointing for Rabada, but he’ll have an interesting couple of Test matches,’ Haddin told reporters in PE.
‘I know the South Africans, playing us, I’ve heard them say a couple of times this is their big series and now he’s got to sit back and watch what’s going on out there.
‘It will be interesting to see how he comes back after this, because he’ll be hurting, no doubt, over the next couple of Test matches,’ said Haddin.
Rabada, who picked up 11 wickets in Port Elizabeth, went back to the top of the ICC rankings for bowlers on Tuesday, and Haddin marvelled at his ability.
‘He’s very impressive,’ Haddin said.
‘For someone so young, the smarts he has with the ball in his hand, knowing when to go up and down gears and looking from the sidelines, it looks like he really understands how to set up a batsman.
‘For someone so young, that’s quite impressive.
‘I thought the spell in the second innings to go after [David] Warner and the openers, that was a pretty placid wicket, and from where I was sitting that was some pretty hostile bowling.
‘He took it on himself there to get the big wicket of Davey. Davey played well in that first innings [for 60].
‘It’s disappointing for the game that he’s not playing but, from our point of view, it’s a bonus because he is a class act.’
Photo: Jason McCawley/Getty Images
