Australia are in South Africa, and the first ODI is presently underway at Kingsmead. Veteran batting star David Miller has made it to the Playing XI. His situation is a bit unique. He doesn’t have the Cricket South Africa (CSA) contract since April. Last season, the left-hander had a deal designed for players useful in only one format.
Miller has been predominantly playing T20Is and ODIs in recent years but then in the last one and a half years, it’s only been T20Is. Now he is back to ODI cricket, which suggests only one thing that he may not have the contract but he is in South Africa’s scheme of things as far as limited-overs cricket is concerned. Next year, the men’s ODI World Cup returns to South Africa after 24 years. They are co-hosting it with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Today Miller featuring in South Africa’s Playing XI is a big giveaway that the board has not given up on him and expects him to go on right up to the quadrennial event.
Also Read: First-class cricketer Robin Das charged with two counts of rape; county side Essex confirms
Ahead of the match, the 37-year-old had expressed his disappointment at not being given the contract but he was happy that the CSA was still interested in utilising his batting skills in the middle order. "I lost my contract with Cricket South Africa, and it's never really nice, but it's part of life. I still want to play for South Africa, I'm still making myself available, and it's just about making sure that everything is communicated really well," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the match, the 37-year-old had expressed his disappointment at not being given the contract but he was happy that the CSA was still interested in utilising his batting skills in the middle order. "I lost my contract with Cricket South Africa, and it's never really nice, but it's part of life. I still want to play for South Africa, I'm still making myself available, and it's just about making sure that everything is communicated really well," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"I just want to play against the best. I love competing against the best in the world. And so making myself available for South Africa is something that I've always wanted to do. My priority has always been South Africa. Although I've played a lot of leagues, I've always wanted to play for South Africa, and I love playing for South Africa. Nothing's changed. It's just that I've lost my contract. That's pretty much where it stands, and I still make myself available. So if selected, then I'll play.”
Miller is unlikely to play ODIs against Bangladesh in December as he is set to feature in ILT20. And since he has the freedom to skip certain series, probably that’s why he doesn’t have the CSA contract. Anyway, it is good for world cricket that Miller is still going strong. In the T20 World Cup early this year, eventual champions India lost just one game, and that was against South Africa. Miller joined Ryan Rickelton with the Proteas reeling at 20/3 and smashed a 63 off 35 balls under pressure to help inflict a big 76-run defeat on the co-hosts. There is definitely life in the old dog yet and hopefully more such treats will be coming our way next year in October and November. Cricket is much richer with players like Miller around.