Durban, Sep 22 (IANS) South African batter David Miller has set his sights on World Cup glory but believes the Proteas must keep their focus firmly on the process as they build towards next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Miller, who is set to return to ODI cricket after more than 18 months, said winning the World Cup remains a major ambition for every player and team, with South Africa aiming to end their long wait for the coveted trophy in the 2027 edition.

The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, allowing Miller to potentially feature in a World Cup on home soil. “[The Cricket World Cup] is obviously a quest and a dream come true. Every player, every team going to the World Cup, wants to win the World Cup,” Miller said ahead of South Africa’s three-match ODI series against Australia.

South Africa have come close in recent editions but have been unable to go all the way. They lost in the semifinals in 2015 and 2023, while Miller was part of the side that suffered a narrow defeat to Australia in the 2015 semifinal.

The 37-year-old, who has 178 ODIs to his name, said South Africa need to ensure their preparation and playing approach are aligned rather than allowing the pressure of winning the World Cup to affect their decision-making. “Things got to work out; you got to align things with your team, where you want to go and how you want to play. So all those things come into play, and we’ve played really good cricket in the last couple of years. In World Cups, we haven’t won a World Cup, but we’ve certainly been knocking on the door,” he said.

Miller believes the Proteas can give themselves the best chance of success by concentrating on their preparation and skills rather than becoming consumed by the eventual target.

“Sometimes, when you’re striving too much for something, errors come into play, and you kind of get frantic, and you don’t think clearly,” he said.

“So that’s something that we’re focusing on; just allow the process to be, making sure we prepare really well and doing the best that we can, and our skills will outplay anything if we play to those skills. It’s just keeping it really simple; it’s a cliché, but it really is the way forward,” he added.

For Miller, the prospect of playing in a World Cup in front of a home crowd adds another layer to the ambition. “Being at a World Cup in itself is amazing. But being at home is something even more special. It would be a dream come true,” he said.

However, Miller knows he must first secure his place in the South African squad and deliver consistently over the next year. “There’s still a bit of hard work to do until then, a couple of series; it’s just over a year away. A lot of hard work for myself to put myself in a position to make it that team,” he added.

The veteran batter also has a strong record against Australia, averaging 57.38 against them in ODIs, compared to his career average of 42.3. He has scored three centuries against Australia, including a career-best 139.

“I do enjoy playing against Australia. They’ve always been a really competitive team, with really high-skilled players individually. You always want to play against the best. So it’s about that and raising your standards. Being tested against the best is really nice,” Miller said.

--IANS

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