David Miller’s swing is one of the most aesthetically pleasing things in world cricket. It starts with the back lift and culminates with a gorgeous follow through.
Even Ernie Els would be pleased with it.
But while it may look like the most natural thing in the world, it did not come without hard work and hours of dedication in trying to perfect it.
“Growing up and starting at my early days of professional cricket, I used to hit thousands of balls and really work on certain things with the academy that I went to, Dolphins Academy,” the Paarl Royals captain said.
“In the early phases with the bowling machine, throws, really grooving that swing and hitting thousands of balls in the slot. Over time, you really figure out your swing plane. You realise like how hard you need to hit it. You know, all these kinds of things, the technical side of things you figure out.”
Miller has certainly “figured it out” with the veteran among the most distinguished short-format finishers on the global franchise T20 circuit. The left-hander’s ability to hit a long ball has carried him a long way, but he admits that being consistently successful has a lot more to do with what’s happening between the ears than any which way he swings his bat.
“I’m really a feel type of player. I want everything to be second nature,” he said. “I don’t want to be thinking too much about it. And that comes through preparation and hitting lots and lots of balls. You know, so that for me, mindset again comes over time.
“Confidence, mindset, belief, all those kind of things come over time. Once you win a game and you actually hit a six and you do it again, you know, OK, I can do this again. You know, and so the confidence builds. So, yeah, you kind of put it all together.”
He also admits that even at 36 years old now, and despite playing over 500 T20 matches, and being the second highest all-time run scorer for the Royals with 701 at an average of 36.89, he still gets butterflies before every game.
“There’s always nerves. There’s always pressure. The heart rate’s racing,” Miller said. “But that for me, you know, over the years, it’s what gets me out of bed. I really want to perform.
“I really want to do well and I want to compete at the highest level. You’re never going to be successful all the time. It’s accepting that, but making sure that you understand the conditions, understand what is required in terms of run rate and bowlers who’s still to come.
“It’s just putting all that together and really making sure that I stay really calm, but it’s hard to do that. I think like whoever cracks first between the bowler and the batter often you try and put it onto the bowlers. Just accepting the fact that you can’t control everything.”
Miller will lead the Royals into battle for the fourth successive season when Betway SA20 Season 4 begins on Boxing Day. He will be hoping his team progresses to a maiden Betway SA20 Final after three consecutive playoff appearances, and he believes his relationship with coach Trevor Penney will go a long way in achieving the goal.
“Captaining the Paarl Royals for another year is an honour. For me, it’s a new start,” he said.
“Obviously, we did really well the last cycle, getting to playoffs every year and not getting the trophy, but I think, you know, doing really good things. So, for me this year, it’s a fresh start.
“We’ve got Trevor Penney as our head coach, who is very, very experienced. Been around for years and understands the players and understands the game. So, it’s really, you know, working alongside him. We’re going to put together some really cool and exciting things for the team.”
All roads will lead to Boland Park on December 27 for the Royals’ season opener on December 27 against two-times champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.cricexec.com ’
