In the middle of Kings XI Punjab’s IPL campaign last year, David Miller was replaced as captain. This came on the back of poor form during his team’s run of five losses in six outings. Miller, a surprise candidate for the skipper’s post to begin with, vacated his seat for M. Vijay.
The South African has words of encouragement for Karun Nair, who was recently appointed captain of the struggling Delhi Daredevils franchise.
Karun, much like Miller, took on the role with limited leadership experience. “I can definitely relate to Karun’s situation. It is a lot easier to have all the right answers for everything when you watch from the outside. Having said that, being the captain adds great weight to your career. I think he (Karun) will do just fine,” Miller said.
Miller added that he hopes to lead a side again. “I want to test myself as captain again — this is something that is very dear to me,” he said, in an interaction with The Hindu here on Friday.
The 27-year-old expressed concern about the health of Wayne Parnell. A few days ago, while playing for English county team Kent, Parnell left the field after bowling four overs. He reportedly complained of an elevated heart rate, but was subsequently cleared by doctors. “I’m not aware of what exactly happened with Parnell, but it is not a nice situation. It was bad when (England batsman) James Taylor retired due to a heart condition a year ago. As players, we have to do regular medical tests to handle even minor issues,” Miller said.
On the soon-to-be-launched Cricket South Africa T20 Global Destination League, a franchise-based T20 competition in his home country, Miller said, “In a financial sense, it will keep things alive.
This means that the South African cricketers will not have to go overseas to make a living. This tournament will never be as big as IPL, but it will be massive for cricket in South Africa.”
Joining Miller on the tournament’s list of marquee players is fellow Kings XI Punjab batsman Hashim Amla. He has been on a roll this IPL season, topping the list of run-scorers for his side.
Amla believes that it should no longer surprise fans when classical batsman like himself excel in the shortest format. “In every edition of the IPL, there have been guys who have succeeded by playing a more traditional, classical game. And every year, these cases are received with surprise.
“It is not actually a surprise any more. Last year, Virat (Kohli) did so well, and you wouldn’t call him unorthodox. The same goes for Kane (Williamson),” Amla said.
