South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada says he is serving provisional ban for recreational drug use

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada said on Saturday that he is serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a recreational drug.

Rabada had left the Indian Premier League last month, saying at the time he returned home for personal reasons. The Gujarat Titans franchise had confirmed he went home for "an important personal matter.”

“This was due to my returning an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug,” Rabada said in a statement.

It was unclear whether he would be able to play in South Africa’s World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s next month.

The 29-year-old Rabada said he was deeply sorry and looking forward to returning to the game.

“Moving forward, this moment will not define me," he said. "I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft.”

Rabada has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22 from just 70 tests while he has amassed a further 168 dismissals in 108 ODIs and 71 in 65 T20 internationals.

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FILE - Gujarat Titans' Kagiso Rabada celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings' Prabhsimran Singh during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)