David Miller Criticizes ICC’s Scheduling and Travel Arrangements After Champions Trophy Semi-Final Loss
Lahore:Following South Africa’s defeat to New Zealand in the second semi-final of the Champions Trophy, South African batsman David Miller has subtly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its tournament scheduling and travel arrangements, suggesting that these factors negatively impacted the performance of the Proteas.
After completing their group-stage matches, both South Africa and Australia had to travel to Dubai. Following India’s victory over New Zealand, South Africa had to fly back to Lahore for their semi-final clash against New Zealand, while Australia remained in Dubai for their match against India.
Miller, who had scored a century against New Zealand, pointed out the inconvenience caused by the travel schedule. He said, “It was just a one hour and 40-minute flight, but the travel arrangements for this tournament were far from ideal. The flight was after the morning game, and we had to travel regardless of the circumstances.”
He further explained the difficulties: “We arrived in Dubai at 4 PM, and then had to return by 7:30 the next morning. It was not an ideal situation. It wasn’t like we had a 5-hour flight, but it was still challenging.”
Miller had set a new record for the fastest century in Champions Trophy history, completing his ton in just 67 balls during the chase of New Zealand’s 363-run target. His unbeaten innings included 10 fours and 4 sixes, making him the fastest to score a century in the tournament’s history. The previous record was held by India’s former opener Virender Sehwag, who scored a 77-ball century against England in Colombo in 2002.
It’s noteworthy that the ICC had scheduled all of India’s matches in the tournament at the Dubai Stadium, a decision that has already been questioned by various cricketing personalities. Now, New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, has also raised concerns about the advantage India gained by playing all their matches in Dubai.
