LONDON: South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has had his two-Test ban overturned on appeal, meaning he will be available for the remainder of the series against Australia.
Rabada was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the third and fourth Tests after being found guilty of two charges of misconduct for aggressive wicket celebrations in South Africa’s series-leveling victory in the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
The first charge, of deliberately bumping into Australia captain Steve Smith after getting him out in the first innings in Port Elizabeth, earned Rabada three disciplinary demerit points, taking him over a threshold and resulting in the ban.
Rabada and Cricket South Africa appealed that finding on the basis that he did not deliberately bump into Smith. The appeal was upheld after an independent judicial hearing in Cape Town on Monday.
“The key issue is whether Mr. Rabada made ‘inappropriate and deliberate physical contact’ with Mr. Smith,” said judicial officer Mike Heron, who heard the appeal. “I am not ‘comfortably satisfied’ that Mr. Rabada intended to make contact and I therefore find him not guilty.”
For the Smith incident, Rabada was found guilty on a lesser charge but the punishment did not constitute a ban. He had already pleaded guilty to a second charge in Port Elizabeth, of shouting in Australia batsman David Warner’s face when he got him out. That also did not constitute enough demerit points for a ban.
The decision to drop the two-Test ban is a major boost for South Africa ahead of the third clash in Cape Town starting tomorrow. Rabada is ranked the No.1 bowler in Tests and is the spearhead of the home team’s bowling attack.
The series is level at 1-1 with tests in Cape Town and Johannesburg to come, with South Africa seeking a first home series win over Australia since the end of apartheid.
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada available for rest of Australia series after ban overturned
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada available for rest of Australia series after ban overturned
Amorim keen to keep hold of Mainoo, Garnacho
“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna“
MACNEHSTER: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has expressed his desire to keep talented youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho despite rumors the duo could be sold to ease the club’s financial pressures.
United sit 13th in the Premier League and have won only four of Amorim’s 12 games in charge so far.
The club’s ability to hand the former Sporting Lisbon coach, who took charge in November, significant funds to rebuild in the transfer market is limited by profit and sustainability rules.
United lost £113.2 million ($139 million) in the financial year to June 2024 — their fifth straight year in the red.
As academy graduates, any fee received for Mainoo or Garnacho would appear on the books as 100 percent profit.
Reports this week said United were therefore open to offers for the pair, as well as a number of other recently acquired signings such as Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt.
“I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Arsenal.
“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna.”
Amorim has previously admitted United’s recruitment must be better and he stressed the need to also improve the club’s academy to help save money in the transfer market.
“When we are targeting players, we need to be sure that they will cope with the demands,” he added.
“I also said we have to improve our academy, to bring young kids that fills the club in the right way, and also with that rules, we are able to do some business and have some money to invest in the team.
“Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.
“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”
Another United academy graduate — Marcus Rashford — does seem set to leave Old Trafford this month.
The 27-year-old reportedly held talks with AC Milan this week, with other European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, also interested.
Rashford has not featured in United’s last six games and Amorim refused to be drawn on whether he could return at the Emirates.
The Portuguese coach did confirm that second string goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will feature ahead of Andre Onana despite his errors in a 4-3 League Cup quarter-final exit to Tottenham last month.
Habib is 1st Lebanese player in Open era to play in a Grand Slam men’s singles draw
- He advanced through three rounds of the qualifying at Melbourne Park, winning his third match in a tiebreaker 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8) over Clement Chidekh of France
- The 26-year-old Habib was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Lebanon as a young child, learning how to play there
MELBOURNE: Hady Habib isn’t likely to find anything too daunting at the Australian Open now that he’s become the first Lebanese player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam men’s singles draw.
He advanced through three rounds of the qualifying at Melbourne Park, winning his third match in a tiebreaker 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8) over Clement Chidekh of France on Thursday to secure a place in the main draw of the tournament that starts Sunday.
It continued a rapid rise for Habib, who made his Olympic debut last year in Paris, running into eventual silver medalist Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time major winner, in the first round. It was two sets he’ll long remember.
Late last year, he made history at Temuco, Chile by becoming the first ATP Challenger Tour champion from Lebanon.
The 26-year-old Habib was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Lebanon as a young child, learning how to play there. He returned to the US to pursue a pro career and feels now like he’s representing of the spirit of Lebanese people.
“I know it’s just a sport, but I feel like representing Lebanon and sacrificing all the things I had to do to get here, it kind of resembles how our nation has fought back,” Habib told Australia’s SBS News this week.
His personal success has come at a difficult time during the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
A fragile ceasefire deal was struck on Nov. 27 following nearly 14 months of war.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023 — the day after Hamas launched a deadly attack into Israel that ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. Subsequent Israeli air and ground assaults have killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians. At the height of the war, more than 1 million Lebanese people were displaced.
“Every morning, I was waking up during that challenging time, I was contacting all my family members, my friends, making sure they’re okay,” Habib told SBS News. “My heart’s just shattered to see what’s happening to our country and people.
“It was a hard time mentally for me, knowing that you can’t do anything to help, but I’m glad things are calming down now. Hopefully we’ll find some peace.”
The 219th-ranked Habib’s first-round opponent was determined Friday — it will be 65th-ranked Bu Yunchaokete of China.
Newcastle boss Howe eager to hang onto goalkeeper Dubravka
- Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window
LONDON: Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window.
The in-form 35-year-old Slovakia international has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab as he enters the final six months of his contract with the Magpies.
Dubravka has conceded just two goals in seven games in all competitions — all of them victories — while deputising for the injured Nick Pope during a run where Newcastle are closing in on a place in the English League Cup final and are fifth in the Premier League table.
“Martin’s been in a difficult situation,” Howe said Friday.
“Like any player that is coming out of contract in the summer, with every player that I’ve ever worked with, there’s always that feeling of doubt.
“He will naturally want some conclusion to his future, whether that’s a new contract with us, whatever the outcome. But he’s certainly played very well and I’ve been really pleased with him.
“He’s more than played his part in our recent run of fixtures. Again against Arsenal (a 2-0 win in the first leg of a League Cup semifinal), I thought he was very, very good, so hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement with him.”
Dubravka was seen to be in tears following the conclusion of Tuesday’s game against Arsenal, in what many observers interpreted as a farewell to Newcastle.
He was signed by former Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, initially on loan, in January 2018, but has largely been a back-up to England international Pope for the last two-and-a-half years, a period which included a loan spell at Manchester United.
But he has shown his value in recent weeks with Howe, who must decide whether or not to rest Dubravka for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie against fourth-tier Bromley, saying: “I know how much Newcastle means to him and you can see that emotionally, he’s very invested.
“Of course, all those things will be playing a part in his decision-making and our decision-making and hopefully there’s a successful outcome at the end.”
Newcastle have been linked with a move for Burnley’s England under-21 international James Trafford should Dubravka move on.
And Howe refused to say whether Pope, who is back in training, remained his first-choice goalkeeper.
“It’s always in a state of flux,” he said. “It’s always changing and moving because that’s down to the player’s performances.”
Manuel Neuer set to return in goal for depleted Bayern as Jamal Musiala is out with illness
- Musiala hasn’t been training because of illness and now is confirmed to miss Bayern’s first league game of the new year
MUNICH: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to return for Bayern Munich for the first time in more than a month in Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Moenchengladbach but Jamal Musiala will miss out.
The 38-year-old Neuer missed Bayern’s last four games of 2024 with a broken rib and wasn’t in the squad for a friendly against Salzburg on Monday, but now looks fully fit again, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.
Neuer’s return for Bayern’s first league game of 2025 is all the more important after backup Daniel Peretz injured a kidney in a training incident on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss a few weeks, Kompany said.
Kompany confirmed Musiala, who hadn’t been training because of illness, won’t be available Saturday for the German league leader.
Among several other absences are midfielder João Palhinha, who hasn’t played since early November with an adductor muscle tear, and defender Dayot Upamecano, who’s serving a one-game Bundesliga suspension for five yellow cards.
Sowter, Hose shine for Desert Vipers in warm-up match against Gulf Giants ahead of DP World ILT20 start
- Vipers’ win sees team easily surpass Giants’ total of 125 at the ICC Academy in Dubai
DUBAI: Ahead of their opening match of the DP World ILT20 against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on Sunday, the Desert Vipers produced an impressive performance against the Gulf Giants in a warm-up match played at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
The Giants batted first and were bowled out for 125, a target the Vipers chased down with ease to the extent that the two sides’ head coaches, James Foster of the Vipers and the Giants’ Andy Flower, agreed on a new target of 186. The Vipers fell just three runs short of that mark, but it was still an encouraging display
The Vipers bowling was highlighted by Nathan Sowter’s four for eight, while Dhruv Parashar and David Payne contributed with two wickets apiece. Speaking with the Vipers Voices podcast after the match, Sowter said he was pleased with what he delivered in match conditions.
“Yes, it was obviously a great start and it was nice to get a few wickets,” he said. “I was happy with how they came out and I hit my lengths quite well. It is nice to get a win for the boys and get the feeling of how we want the competition to go.”
Speaking about bowling in partnership with UAE finger-spinner Dhruv Parashar, Sowter said the duo worked well together and also used their time together after time in the field to discuss strategy ahead of the main competition.
“I think they (Gulf Giants) got off to a good start, and then we kind of just pegged them back a little bit. And then we started getting wickets and it happened quite quickly. I think we took maybe six wickets in three overs there.
“So, it put a bit of sting in the tail and that was nice. Dhruv bowled really well and we have had a few conversations after, about how we can go about things through the competition as well, either if we play together or if Dhruv plays with (Wanindu) Hasaranga.
“It is good to have those conversations because you can have days like this where you can learn a lot more than just getting a few wickets.”
Sowter added that he felt pleased with how preparations have gone ahead of Sunday’s opening encounter with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
“It is going well,” he said. “I think the Vipers’ mantra is you get what you need (at training) and you get out of there.
“So, I think the boys are building up really nicely. I think, for myself, it is about making sure you do not overdo it. But you do not want to underdo it as well. And I think the coaching staff here give you a great mix of that and they allow you to take control of your own cricket. I think that helps players a lot, or it does help me a lot, to just pick and choose when I need to do what or how much I need to do.
“I feel like we have got a good mix of players who know each other, and have played a lot of cricket against each other or with each other. So, I think we will be all right going forward.”
Meanwhile on the batting side of things, Adam Hose was top scorer for the Vipers with 47 from 23 balls, including four fours and three sixes, and said he was glad to have put on a good show.
“Yes, it was a nice start to it, from a personal and a team’s perspective,” he said. “I think it is always tough to gauge where you are at, especially since I have not been here (in the UAE) too long.
“We have had a couple of really good outdoor sessions, but having not played much (after the English domestic season) prior to this competition, it is always fairly tough to know where you are.
“I think I just gave myself a little bit of a chance, faced a few balls, and then I felt like I got into my work, started picking the ball up early and seeing the length. Fortunately, a few came out the middle of the bat tonight.”
Hose was the Vipers’ top scorer last year in a pre-tournament practice match against the Dubai Capitals, but that came off the back of time in Australia at the Big Bash League with the Adelaide Strikers.
This time, the build-up has involved rest and reflection for the player, and he said he thought it had been a positive for him.
“(I am here) off the back of a little bit of time off back in England for New Year and Christmas which, to be honest with you, was really nice.
“I have just tried to focus, especially in the last two days, on the basics of what I know works well for me — that is having a good, strong base, tracking the ball for as long as possible and being as still as possible.
The Desert Vipers’ first match of the 2025 DP World ILT20 is on day two of the tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
