Kagiso Rabada: “I can’t keep doing this because I am letting the team down and I am letting myself down”

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South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has admitted that he has to scale back his aggression going forward as it is “letting the team down” and “myself down”.

Rabada was banned for the remainder of the ongoing Test series against Australia for two separate incidents that occurred during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

The first incident saw the 22-year-old make shoulder-to-shoulder contact with Australia skipper Steve Smith, while the second was for his celebration after dismissing opening batsman and vice-captain David Warner.

As a result, Rabada was fined 65 percent of his match fee and handed four demerit points.

Given the important role Rabada has in the Test side, the Johannesburg native acknowledged that he can’t afford to be as aggressive going forward.

“It’s going to have to stop,” he was quoted by icc-cricket.com as saying. “I can’t keep doing this because I am letting the team down and I am letting myself down.

“I won’t change the way I express myself but I just will get far away from the batter. I have to move forward. I have to see it as a big learning curve. And not repeat the same mistake. I have repeated the same mistake in the eyes of the umpires. I am not happy about it but time moves on.”

Rabada also explained how his passion and emotions sometimes get the better of him after he takes a wicket.

“I don’t know what I am thinking actually. To be honest, I just let it out,” he said. “It’s a big series, there is a lot to play for. There’s a whole lot of emotion and pride. You don’t want to roll over. You want to get them out.

“It’s competitive. There’s a history of South Africa and Australia playing against each other. You’re playing for the No.1 spot. There’s a whole lot that you’re playing for. Also playing for personal milestones and team milestones as well and it just comes out.”