David Miller criticized the ICC for the Champions Trophy 2025 scheduling that required South Africa to travel back to Pakistan after playing in Dubai, contributing to their loss against New Zealand. Despite scoring a century, Miller noted that pitch conditions deteriorated and supported New Zealand in the final.
David Miller, South Africa’s key player in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final, expressed his dissatisfaction with the scheduling of the tournament following South Africa’s 50-run defeat to New Zealand. The unusual schedule required both South Africa and Australia to travel to Dubai from Pakistan after the group stages, only for South Africa to return to Pakistan for their semi-final against New Zealand after India defeated New Zealand in their own group match.
Miller noted, “It’s only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” highlighting the inconvenience of the travel. Returning to Lahore after a brief stay in Dubai added to the team’s fatigue, leaving them little time to recover from their journey. “It’s not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate, but it was not an ideal situation still,” he remarked.
Despite Miller’s remarkable performance scoring an unbeaten century of 67 balls, featuring ten fours and four sixes, South Africa could not chase New Zealand’s formidable target of 363 runs. Miller observed that the pitch conditions worsened throughout the game, stating, “It’s not easy chasing 360 even if it’s a good wicket. I think the wicket just deteriorated as the game went on.” He acknowledged the Kiwi bowlers’ effective performance, with Mitchell Santner leading with three wickets.
New Zealand’s innings had been established by centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, marking the highest total in the Champions Trophy with a score of 362/6. Despite the disappointment, Miller expressed his support for New Zealand in the final against India, saying, “I’ll be honest with you, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand.”
David Miller’s critique of the Champions Trophy 2025 scheduling underscores the logistical challenges faced by South Africa, which may have impacted their semifinal performance against New Zealand. The quick turnaround and travel between venues contributed to their difficulties in the match. Furthermore, despite his exceptional individual performance, the team could not overcome the monumental task of chasing a steep target set by New Zealand. Miller’s support for New Zealand in the final reflects a degree of sportsmanship in the aftermath of their exit from the tournament.
Original Source: indianexpress.com
