Cape Town – It was Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth last year. South Africa had just won the series-deciding T20 international against New Zealand, with David Miller striking a breezy 28 off just 15 balls to propel the Proteas to a defendable total.
But instead of rushing off to the airport immediately after the game – Man of the Match Henry Davids could not even attend the after-match press conference – to catch the first flight out of PE to join up with his franchise for the next round of SuperSport Series fixtures the following day, Miller just stood sheepishly on the steps leading to the St George’s Park changeroom.
“Why are you just hanging around Dave, don’t you have a plane to catch,” I enquired. “Me … nah … I am not playing,” Miller responded dejectedly. I immediately followed with the retort “Have you picked up an injury?”, only to get a stern “No, I’ve been dropped.”
It was clear that Miller was as bemused with his axing from the Dolphins four-day squad as I was. Rightly, the 23-year-old’s first-class form had not been as hot as Justin Bieber was at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night, but neither were the Dolphins as a team either.
The coastal franchise have been languishing in the doldrums of the South African franchise system for a while now, and although they showed some improvement under new coach Lance Klusener this past season in the four-day format, surely they could keep faith in one of South Africa’s most promising and exciting left-hand batsmen?
“Yeah ... last summer was disappointing for me domestically,” Miller said from India this week, where he had just clubbed the fastest century in T20 cricket by a South African.
“But I couldn’t really argue or be upset with Lance. My four-day numbers were simply not good enough, and being dropped really hurt because I have a great desire to play Test cricket for South Africa.
“I put that all behind me, though, when I left for India and really focused on doing well here in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab.”
Although the formats are vastly different, to say that Miller has “done well” at IPL VI would be a gross understatement. Bought for just $100 000 – in comparison to the multi-million dollar contracts some other under-achieving stars have – two seasons ago by the Preity Zinta-owned franchise, Miller has been the undoubted budget buy of the series.
Prior to Thursday’s match against the Rajasthan Royals, the Maritzburg College-educated blaster had amassed 352 runs. At that point, he had the highest average – 117.33 – with the best strike-rate too, set at an amazing 173.99. That put even the likes of superstars like Chris Gayle (164.53) and Miller’s own national one-day captain AB de Villiers (165.14) in the shade.
These numbers are, of course, bolstered by his 101 not out off just 38 balls, when Gayle and De Villiers could only look on in appreciation during a recent run-chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was fitting that he reached his maiden T20 triple figure score with a lusty straight blow off Gayle. It was the seventh time Miller had cleared the fence to go neatly along with his eight fours.
There are many who believe that to be successful in T20 cricket, a butcher’s approach is needed where slogging across the line is the order of the day.
But Miller disproves this theory, for he looks to hit straight on most occasions. It remains very powerful, but there is a touch of elegance about it that makes his lack of success in first-class cricket even more mystifying. He does not possess obvious technical deficiencies in his game, like Richard Levi (the previous South African T20 record holder) has, and it showed in his wagon wheel, with 49 runs coming off 17 balls between the cover and mid-on region. Miller does not have leg-side limitations either, as a further 24 runs was belted through mid-wicket.
“I am feeling a lot more confident about my game recently,” he said. “I haven’t made any technical changes. I am still playing like my father showed me, and that’s to hit the ball strongly in the ‘V’, so nothing has changed there.
“I think it has been more of a mental shift that has helped me. I went to Yorkshire last season, and as the overseas professional in the English county set-up, there is a lot of responsibility placed on you and they wanted me to bat higher up in the order.
“That really worked well for me and I settled in the number four position. There, I realised I had the time to play myself in, and did not feel the extra pressure of having to hit each ball out the park. I have taken the same approach to the IPL, where I have tried to give myself some time before exploding later on.”
This calmer approach at the crease has certainly benefited Miller recently, with his performances at international level for the Proteas also beginning to do justice to his undoubted talent.
Besides his worthwhile contribution at St George’s Park to seal the New Zealand T20 series, Miller also struck a classy 67, although it was in a losing cause, in the second-last ODI of the summer against Pakistan on his home ground.
He will have further opportunities to lay down his international marker when the ICC Champions Trophy gets underway in England and Wales next month.
Miller was a late replacement for veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis, but now that Graeme Smith has also been ruled out due to an ankle injury, there is a likelihood that the Proteas batting order could be reshuffled, resulting in Miller playing a bigger role in helping South Africa end their 15-year wait for an ICC trophy.
“I was gutted at missing out on the last World Cup (2011 in India). I was so close, had played for the Proteas that summer, but it was not to be. I now have another chance at a major tournament, and I just want to do well for the team and play to the best of my ability,” Miller added.
“My role, of course, will be a lot different for the Proteas should I get selected in the starting line-up. I play more of a ‘finisher role’ with the national side, but with it being 50-overs cricket, there is mostly still a lot of time to play yourself in, and it is only a few times where I need to hit it out the park from ball one.
“I think that suits my game and what I am comfortable with now, but as long a I can contribute to South African winning, I am chuffed.”
david Miller’s numbers:
ODI
Matches: 20. Runs 383. HS: 67. Average: 31.91. Strike rate: 101.05.
100s: 0. 50s: 3.
T20Is
Matches: 12. Runs 223. HS: 36*. Average: 27.87. Strike rate: 129.65
100s: 0. 50s: 0.
First-class
Matches: 40. Runs 1745. HS: 149. Average: 29.57. Strike rate: 54.29
100s: 2. 50s: 8.
List A
Matches: 83. Runs 1834. HS: 115*. Average: 32.75. Strike rate: 100.01 100s: 1. 50s: 12.
Twenty20
Matches: 86. Runs 2075. HS: 101*. Average: 39.30 Strike rate: 136.24
100s: 1. 50s: 11. – Cape Times