Miller pleased to have World Cup-winning captains as sounding boards

Paarl Royals skipper David Miller was eager to pick the brains of World Cup-winning England captains Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan during the Betway SA20. Morgan famously led England’s white-ball revolution which culminated to ODI World Cup glory in 2019 while his successor Buttler lifted the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

Miller expressed his willingness to learn from the master tacticians ahead of the inaugural edition of SA20. ‘’We’ve got two World Cup-winning captains, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, so it would be silly for me not to try and draw from their experiences and enjoy what they have to offer,’’ Miller said in the lead-up to Betway SA20.

‘’I certainly don’t have all the answers as a captain and a player, so to have them on the field to help with decision-making will be huge.’’

“Captaincy grows on you and it builds a lot of character in one’s game and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Having guys like that makes a huge difference and they’ve already contributed a big amount in the lead-up to tomorrow’s game. I’m very pleased to have them here.”

Miller, 33, knows what goes into the making of a successful T20 side, having globetrotted to participate in franchise leagues in South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan and England.

‘‘If I look at previous experiences I’ve had, especially winning the most recent IPL, different guys did well throughout the competition,’’ he added, speaking on the eve of the campaign opener.

‘’You’ve obviously got your core players within that, but you need a contribution from the whole squad throughout the campaign.’’

The arrival of South Africa’s own T20 league pleased Miller. He feels a homegrown tournament will benefit South Africa’s white-ball teams in the long run.

‘It’s very exciting, South Africa has been searching for something like this for a few years,’ Miller said. ‘The weather’s always good here in South Africa, the time zone is great, and there are brilliant places to visit here, Miller highlighted back then.

‘’All the younger guys will learn a lot quicker with the overseas and domestic national team players and that can only benefit South Africa.’’

‘’As I mentioned, this is a very competitive league and there are going to be loads of pressure moments. When you put yourself under a lot more pressure, you learn quickly and that’s what we need.’’

The SA20, brainchild of Cricket South Africa, featured six teams all bought by the owners of the IPL franchises. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape were crowned champions in the first edition.