BIG TARGETS Former Proteas player Alviro Petersen predicts that Kagiso Rabada (left) and Temba Bavuma (centre) will be targeted by Australian sledging in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
According to former Proteas opener Alviro Petersen, Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma will be the two main targets of the Australians in the war of words, before and during, the World Test Championship final starting at Lord’s, in London, next week.
Rabada, of course, was banned for a month in April for testing positive for banned recreational substance cocaine. Though he’s served his ban and has since returned to playing, that’s the perfect topic for the Aussies, who are known for their sledging, to exploit.
The 30-year-old Rabada is the leader of the Proteas attack, but did struggle for form in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The change of format could serve him well though, but only if he is able to ignore the Aussie ‘verbals’, believed Petersen.
Rabada Under Fire from Aussies Ahead of Final
"They're going to jump on it. I mean, you've already seen former players jumping on it. They're going to jump on it like a wildfire, and leading up to that Test match final, they're going to absolutely drill it and nail it into South Africa to say, you've got to try to keep this under wraps,” Petersen told SportsBoom.co.za.
"This is already the thing I see coming through from the Australians - 'you try to keep this under wraps. How on earth would you have done that? It should have been a three-month ban, you're protecting certain okes.' Those sorts of things will come up, and ideally, what they want is, they want Kagiso Rabada to be impacted by it."
Another key figure the Aussies will circle like sharks will be Bavuma, as the skipper of the Proteas.
"Forget about his (Bavuma's) technique, forget about what he's done in the last couple of seasons or whatever the case might be, Australia hunt for the head and he's the captain, they're going to come for him.
"He needs to be up for it, to be mentally strong for what's going to come. Australia's a tough team to play, especially in finals. So, they're going to come for him. He will need to stand up. That quiet demeanour of Temba Bavuma is unfortunately not going to cut it in the final."