South Africa’s David Miller expressed concerns about his team’s brief trip to Dubai before their Champions Trophy semi-final loss to New Zealand in Lahore.
The tournament’s complex scheduling required both Australia and South Africa to fly to Dubai from Pakistan prior to the semi-finals. South Africa’s stay lasted less than 24 hours before returning without playing any matches.
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Australia remained in Dubai and subsequently lost to India in their semi-final match. The scheduling complications arose because India played all their matches in Dubai, refusing to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan due to political and safety reasons.
“It’s only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” Miller said after South Africa’s 50-run defeat to New Zealand on Wednesday.
South Africa made this trip shortly after defeating England in Karachi on Saturday.
“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 we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice. 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.”
Miller scored an unbeaten century off 67 balls, but it wasn’t enough to prevent South Africa’s loss to New Zealand, who will now face India in Sunday’s final in Dubai.
New Zealand set a Champions Trophy record by posting 362-6, powered by impressive centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen contributed 56 and 69 runs respectively, forming a crucial 105-run partnership for the second wicket. However, New Zealand’s spinners, led by Mitchell Santner’s 3-43, restricted South Africa to 312-9.
“It’s not easy chasing 360 even if it’s a good wicket,” said Miller, who hit four sixes and 10 fours in his seventh ODI hundred. “I think the wicket just deteriorated as the game went on and they spun the ball a lot more than us. It’s just they got a little bit more purchase out of the wicket.”
Regarding the upcoming final, Miller shared his preference: “I’ll be honest with you, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand.”