South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada, though currently ranked No 2 in the world, is a temperamental character. The 22-year-old already missed a Test, against England at Trent Bridge last year, and recently in the ODI series against India, he added another demerit point to his report card for sending off Shikhar Dhawan in the fifth ODI.
Rabada is now one serious incident away from a two-match suspension and the Aussies have decided to target his temper as it takes on South Africa in the first of the four-match Test series at Kingsmead, Durban on March 1.
Read: South Africa's Rabada fined for Dhawan gesture
“It could perhaps be a plan to try and get him fired up. You never know what some guys do when they're fired up. He's obviously a quality bowler and a big player for them. You don't want to see guys getting suspended or anything like that, you want to come up against the best, but you never know,” Australia skipper Steve Smith told cricket.com.au in Johannesbug.
A fortnight ago, Rabada was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and was handed a demerit point — his fifth in total, following incidents in Sri Lanka and England; should he earn three more demerit points, he will be suspended for up to two Tests for reaching eight demerit points inside a year.
Rabada is one of the key bowlers for South Africa in the upcoming series for no other pacer in the history of Test cricket has a strike rate lower than him; with 120 wickets in 26 Tests, he strikes every 39.7 deliveries.
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