Kagiso Rabada/ Picture: Instagram
South African cricket bowling sensation Kagiso Rabada’s legacy continues to be in jeopardy, as the youngster has been on the receiving end of some intense backlash after reports of cocaine being found in his urine sample.
Kagiso has been recently embroiled in controversy, and has recently been given the green light to return to the pitch after serving a month-long suspension, in connection with testing positive for the use of a recreational drug during a match between Mumbai Indians, Cape Town and Durban Superkings earlier this January.
When the news of Kagiso’s predicament broke, his fans and viewers of the sport quickly expressed disappointment in the youngster, as they speculated how this would affect the trajectory of his career. As South African Institute of Drug-free Sport (SAIDS) had not revealed the specific drug that was found in Kagiso’s system, some users were quick to assume the culprit to be marijuana, as the use of the recreational has somewhat become more normalised, and the recent de-criminalisation of it is a testament to that.
However, it appears that the banned substance was cocaine, and according to MDN News, the test conducted by SAIDS revealed test revealed a low concentration of benzoylecgonine (BZE), which is a metabolite of cocaine.
Cocaine found in Rabada’s urine sample
South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has returned to cricket after serving a one-month suspension for a positive cocaine test.
The banned substance was detected in a urine sample collected on January 21, 2025, following an SA20 match,… pic.twitter.com/hl7M18Kr2o
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) May 11, 2025
Despite the 29-year-old bowler acknowledging his part and committing to doing better, his fans have not held back when it comes to expressing their disappointment in him and his careless actions. According to these users, the bowlers’ actions were not only careless but selfish, because as a black professional cricketer, he of all people knows the odds that have been stacked against him. They believe that such actions will give the system ammunition to jeopardise his career and undo all of the great work that has gone towards it.
This sucks because Kagiso Rabada has built an impeccable career for himself and knowing how racist the sport is, they’ll make sure that this is what he’s remembered for
— Stolen Chanel🐝🤠 (@Zoemkoena) May 11, 2025
I’m not judging him for using c*ke, intash imnandi bafethu however, I wish famous black athletes would try by all means not to do something that’ll jeopardise their careers and make the white man happy.
— guns akimbo🕴 (@MimiSokanyile) May 12, 2025
Kagiso Rabada ruined his career 😔
— Jabulani Macdonald ⚡️ (@Jabu_Macdonald) May 11, 2025
Also see: Kagiso Rabada receives the greenlight to return following recent suspension
