The former No 1 bowler in the world played six Tests in the 2019/20 season and took 21 wickets at an average of 32.85, the first time since making his debut in 2015/16 that his average has dipped into the ‘mediocre’ thirties. His previously least successful season was 2017, in England, when he took 16 wickets in three Tests at 28.43.
His career figures of 197 wickets in 43 Tests at an average of just 22.95 are a truer reflection of the immense talent he possesses.
To make matters worse, Rabada missed the crucial fourth Test against England at the Wanderers earlier this year when the Proteas had a chance of levelling the series, after being suspended for once again provocatively celebrating in the dismissed batsman’s face.
The Wanderers has been a happy hunting ground for the Central Gauteng Lions star, with 24 wickets in five Tests there, at an average of just 20.54.
Rabada did not play in an ODI over the summer, but his performance in the World Cup last year was a let-down as he took just 11 wickets in nine matches, at an average of 36.09 and an economy rate of 5.08.
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