David Miller criticized the scheduling of South Africa’s trip to Dubai before their Champions Trophy semi-final loss to New Zealand. The team spent less than 24 hours in Dubai, leading to inconvenient travel that affected their performance. Miller noted the challenges in chasing New Zealand’s high total and expressed support for New Zealand in the final.
David Miller, the South African batsman, expressed displeasure over his team’s swift trip to Dubai and back prior to their Champions Trophy semi-final loss to New Zealand in Lahore. He noted that the unusual scheduling required both South Africa and Australia to fly to Dubai from Pakistan, which was hardly a favorable arrangement for the teams involved.
Miller emphasized the inconvenience of the journey, stating that South Africa spent less than 24 hours in Dubai without any match being played. He remarked, “It’s only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” after South Africa succumbed to a 50-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand.
The hectic schedule ensued after South Africa’s victory over England in Karachi, necessitating an early morning flight to Dubai. Upon arrival at 4:00 PM, the team had to return to Pakistan by 7:30 AM the following day. Miller elaborated, “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.”
In the match against New Zealand, despite Miller’s impressive performance of 100 not out from 67 balls, South Africa could not chase the formidable target set by New Zealand, who registered a record total of 362-6 in the Champions Trophy. He acknowledged the difficulty of chasing such a high score, stating, “It’s not easy chasing 360 even if it’s a good wicket,” and noted that the conditions deteriorated as the match progressed.
Looking ahead to the finale, Miller anticipated an exciting showdown, stating, “I’ll be honest with you, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand.” He recognized their performance and the challenging environmental conditions experienced during the match.
David Miller criticized the haphazard scheduling of flights for the Champions Trophy semi-final, noting that the journey to Dubai was impractical. He highlighted the adverse effects of the brief trip on their performance against New Zealand, which ultimately led to their defeat despite his personal success with the bat. Miller expressed anticipation for the final match, acknowledging New Zealand’s strong performance.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
