“It is being used to hide stuff” - Former captain’s scathing attack on Kagiso Rabada’s drug use amid IPL 2025

Former Australian captain Tim Paine made a scathing attack on Kagiso Rabada, who is set to return to the IPL for the ongoing 2025 season. Rabada had earlier abruptly left the tournament and it was labelled as 'personal issues'.

Rabada later revealed the reason behind his absence and issued a statement, admitting he was suspended for 'recreational drug use'. He is now set to return to the league. However, Tim Paine expressed that using the term personal issues for a suspension for drug use is only hiding the real picture.

"It stinks. I don't like this use around personal issues, and it is being used to hide stuff that isn't a personal issue. If you have a professional sportsman who's tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn't fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you having broken your contract. That is not a personal issue; that is something that is happening in your personal life," he said while speaking on the SEN Radio breakfast show.

He added that taking drugs is not a personal issue that can be hidden for a month, and slammed the way things came out.

"Taking drugs - recreational or performance enhancing - is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa, and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he's already served his ban," he said.

Kagiso Rabada is eligible to return to the IPL and can also play the World Test Championship final for South Africa against Australia.

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"No one knew about what he's taken," - Tim Paine on the drugs taken by Kagiso Rabada

Further, Tim Paine also questioned what drugs Kagiso Rabada had taken and called for accountability.

"Not only will he play against Australia in the world Test Championship, but he's also available to play now in the IPL. No one knew about what he's taken, what he was given, or who the organising body that oversaw it was," he said.

Rabada took recreational drugs and not performance enhancement ones. However, what he exactly consumed is not clear or known.

"If he is going to take drugs and be caught doing it, I think people deserve to know what he's taken, how long he is being rubbed out for, and who sanctioned it (the suspension). People need to be held to account for stuff like that," Paine added.

The pacer had played two matches and picked up two wickets for the Gujarat Titans (GT) before he abruptly left the IPL 2025 season.