South African batsman David Miller has reignited the debate over an ‘unfair advantage’ in the Champions Trophy after his team’s semi-final loss to New Zealand in Lahore. Miller expressed frustration over South Africa’s unnecessary travel to Dubai and back just before their crucial knockout match.
The Proteas, along with Australia, had to fly to Dubai from Pakistan due to India’s decision to play all their matches in Dubai, avoiding travel to Pakistan for political reasons. South Africa’s trip lasted less than 24 hours before they returned to Pakistan, while Australia remained in Dubai and later lost their semi-final against India.
Miller called the travel schedule ‘not ideal’ after South Africa suffered a 50-run defeat to New Zealand on Wednesday.
Disruptive Travel Before the Knockout Match
Speaking after the game, Miller detailed the inconvenience caused by the short yet disruptive travel. “It’s only an hour and 40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” he said.
The team had just secured a victory against England in Karachi on Saturday before embarking on the hasty trip to Dubai.
“It’s early morning, it’s after a game, and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4:00 PM. And at 7:30 AM the next day, we had to fly back. It doesn’t make it nice,” he added.
He emphasized that while the flight duration was relatively short, the lack of proper recovery time affected their preparation for the semi-final. “It’s not like we flew five hours and had enough time to rest and recuperate, but it was still not an ideal situation.”
A Fighting Knock in Vain
Despite the unfavorable circumstances, Miller put up a valiant effort, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 67 balls. However, his heroics were not enough to steer South Africa to victory. New Zealand posted a record-breaking Champions Trophy total of 362-6, thanks to outstanding centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
Chasing 363, South Africa showed promise with a strong second-wicket partnership between captain Temba Bavuma (56) and Rassie van der Dussen (69), adding 105 runs. However, New Zealand’s spinners, led by Mitchell Santner (3-43), applied pressure and restricted South Africa to 312-9 in 50 overs.
Miller acknowledged the challenge of chasing such a massive total. “It’s not easy chasing 360, even on a good wicket,” he admitted. “I think the pitch deteriorated as the game progressed, and they got a lot more turn than we did.”
Looking Ahead to the Final
With New Zealand now set to face India in the final in Dubai, Miller predicted an exciting contest. When asked about his support, he surprisingly backed New Zealand. “I’ll be honest with you, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand,” he said with a smile.
The upcoming final promises to be a thrilling encounter as New Zealand looks to challenge an in-form Indian side. However, Miller’s comments have once again sparked discussions about the fairness of tournament scheduling and whether logistical hurdles impacted the semi-final results.