South African batsman David Miller criticized the team’s inconvenient travel schedule before their Champions Trophy semifinal loss to New Zealand, calling it “not ideal.” Both South Africa and Australia had to fly to Dubai from Pakistan before their semifinals, with South Africa returning within 24 hours without playing a match. Australia, however, stayed and later lost to India. The travel disruption was due to India’s decision to play all their matches in Dubai, refusing to travel to host nation Pakistan for political reasons.
Miller Criticizes Disruptive Travel Before Semifinal Loss
Miller expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing that while the flight was only about 100 minutes, the process was still exhausting. “It’s only an hour and 40 minutes, but having to do that wasn’t ideal,” he said after South Africa’s 50-run defeat to New Zealand on Wednesday.
The team’s unnecessary trip came just after their victory over England in Karachi on Saturday. This meant they had little time to recover before their crucial semifinal clash.
“It was early morning after a game, and we had to fly. We landed in Dubai at 4:00 pm and had to return at 7:30 am,” Miller explained. “It wasn’t a smooth process and didn’t allow enough time to recover.”
Also Read:यूपी में बब्बर खालसा आतंकी गिरफ्तार, हथियार बरामद, पाकिस्तान से संपर्क
Despite Miller’s stunning 100* off 67 balls, South Africa fell short as New Zealand posted a record Champions Trophy total of 362-6, powered by centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
Temba Bavuma (56) and Rassie van der Dussen (69) provided stability with a 105-run second-wicket stand, but New Zealand’s spinners, led by Mitchell Santner (3-43), restricted South Africa to 312-9 in 50 overs.
“Chasing 360 is never easy, even on a good wicket,” Miller admitted. “The pitch deteriorated, and they got more turn than we did, which made things difficult for us.”
Looking ahead to the final, Miller predicted an exciting contest in Dubai and surprisingly revealed, “To be honest, I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand.”
Also Read:सुखोई और एफ़-35 के बीच कौन-सा लड़ाकू विमान चुनेगा भारत?