CRICKET FEAST: Proteas’ David Miller pumped for exciting home summer as World Cup nears

The Proteas’ three-match one-day international (ODI) battle against old foes Australia is the start of a summer of cricket that South Africans have not witnessed in nearly a decade. The last time such a feast was dished up in South Africa was when the country hosted Zimbabwe, India and Australia between December 2017 and April 2018. 

This time, the menu for South African cricket fans includes multi-format clashes against Australia, Bangladesh and England over the next four months. The “all you can watch” buffet will commence when the Proteas renew their rivalry with Australia in Durban on Thursday, 24 September. 

The second ODI will be played at Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, 27 September. The 50-over series will then conclude in Potchefstroom on 30 September. The two teams will then rest for a few days before a repeat of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final, which ended in South Africa’s favour. 

The three-match series will be the first Test series played in South Africa between the two nations since the infamous 2018 series, where then captain Steve Smith admitted his side ⁠had used sandpaper to ⁠tamper with the ball. 

Then Bangladesh will tour South Africa for two Tests in Johannesburg and Pretoria in November. The Tigers and the Proteas will also play three ODIs and just as many ⁠T20s.

In mid-December the English will be in the country for three Tests, which will spill over into the new year before the countries battle in three 50-over clashes. England’s tour originally featured three T20s. However, scheduling conflicts have seen that particular series fall away, for now.  

World Cup on the horizon

This summer cricket feast comes before South ⁠Africa co-hosting the 2027 Cricket World Cup with Namibia and Zimbabwe, with that tournament scheduled to be played between October and November next year. For veteran Proteas batter David Miller, who represents South Africa in the limited overs formats, but not in Tests, it is an exciting time for South African cricket. 

“It’s really exciting to have a home summer. We have not played a lot of cricket in South Africa for a long time. It’s always nice to play in front of home crowds and it’s really exciting to be a part of that,” Miller said.

“It’s also important not to think too far ahead. We must just ensure that we continue to play a winning brand of cricket. That’s our priority, to win cricket games for South Africa, while we smooth out certain things within the team. Then we’ll focus on the World Cup when it comes,” the big-hitting batter added.  

At 37-years old, Miller is the oldest player in the current Proteas setup. However, the belligerent batter is not planning on slowing down any time soon. At least not until after hopefully being able to play in a home cricket World Cup. 

“Being at another World Cup would be amazing on its own, let alone at home. That would be even more special. It would be a dream come true for me. But there’s still some hard work to do until then. I want to put myself in a position to be able to make that final team,” Miller stated.

“I feel really good about my game. I’ve been playing some cricket overseas and I’ve been contributing nicely to the teams I’ve been playing in,” he said. “I always try to do the best that I can, whatever team I’m playing in.”

Proteas injury woes

For the ODI assignment against Australia, the South Africans will be without two senior figures in the bowling lineup: Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Both are nursing injuries. As is Ottniel Baartman.

Youngster Kwena Maphaka may have featured prominently in the big battle, but he has since also been ruled out after suffering a hamstring injury in training. 

This means a large part of leading the bowling attack against the Aussies will fall on the shoulders of lanky all-rounder Marco Jansen. He will be assisted by fellow pacers such as Corbin Bosch and Gerald Coetzee. Spinner Keshav Maharaj is also a great leader for the bowling team, but Jansen is ready to assume the lead among the fast men. 

“It feels like I’m going to have to take that leadership role. I have to try to lead from the front. It’s probably going to be my first time taking up such a role. So I’m quite excited about that. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do if put in such a role,” said Jansen.

“Leadership, and I’m only basing it off of playing with KG and Lungi, is that when things go sideways or when things are tough, especially in the field, you have to have a way of calming things down and slowing things down. That’s probably what I’ll be trying to do,” he added. 

“The last thing you want when you’re struggling in an over or at the death and the opponent is flying, is someone just giving solutions and saying, ‘do this or that’.

“It’s important to realise and to pick the moments where a bowler needs a bit of time to try and slow things down, and just ask one or two simple questions like ‘What’s the plan here, or how are we going to get this guy off strike?’ Just try to slow the game down or slow the momentum down,” the 26-year-old stated. 

The three-match ODI clash against the Australians has the potential to be a super special one for the Jansen family, with Marco’s twin brother Duan Jansen part of the Proteas squad set to face the Aussies. It would be the first time that they play for their country at the same time. 

“If that opportunity presents itself, you better believe that we’re going to make the most of it and enjoy it as much as we can,” Marco said. DM