Miller criticises ICC for travel demands during Champions Trophy

LAHORE: South Africa’s David Miller has expressed frustration with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the demanding travel schedule his team faced ahead of their semi-final clash against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Miller, who scored a remarkable century off 63 balls, voiced his concerns after South Africa’s narrow defeat by 50 runs, which saw them eliminated from the tournament. After their final group stage match against England, the South African team had to fly to Dubai early in the morning, anticipating a semi-final match against India.

However, they were required to fly back to Lahore the next morning after it was confirmed that they would face New Zealand instead. In a media conversation, Miller highlighted the mental and physical toll of this travel. “It’s only an hour-and-40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” he said. “It’s early morning, it’s after a game, and we had to fly.

Then we got to Dubai at 4:00 pm. And at 7.30 am we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice. It’s not like we flew five hours and had enough time to recover and recuperate, but it was not an ideal situation.”

The ICC implemented this arrangement to provide South Africa with preparation time for the semi-final, but the back-and-forth travel raised concerns about player fatigue and overall preparedness.

Despite the travel challenges, Miller and his team managed to post a competitive total of 312/9, but it was not enough to secure a win. The ICC’s decision to adopt a hybrid hosting model for the tournament was driven by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) refusal to send its team to Pakistan due to political tensions.

The compromise, known as the ‘Fusion Formula,’ ensures that from 2025 onwards, India and Pakistan will play their ICC event matches in neutral countries if one of them is hosting the event.

Miller’s comments reflect the broader challenges and logistical hurdles faced by teams in international cricket, particularly in tournaments hosted across multiple locations. As the Champions Trophy progresses, the focus remains on ensuring that teams can compete at their best despite the complexities of international travel.