"There’s a leader that’s dormant in David Miller that needs to come to the fore"- JP Duminy
Former South African all-rounder and Paarl Royals coach JP Duminy feels David Miller's best is yet to come both in franchise cricket as well as at the international level.
There was a time when it seemed like Miller was drifting away from the player many knew he had the potential to be. However, the last 12 months have been simply sensational for the experienced southpaw.
Miller played a huge role in helping the Gujarat Titans win their maiden Indian Premier League title last year. He has also been supremely consistent for South Africa of late.
In a press conference arranged by SA20 for a select group of journalists, here's what JP Duminy had to say about David Miller while replying to a Sportskeeda Query:
"I just think it's the maturity that has come about for him. From the conversations that we had, there’s a leader that’s dormant in David Miller that needs to come to the fore.
"I think we are seeing glimpses of that in the past 12 months where he has really taken responsibility for difficult situations and realized that he can be a match-winner by himself really."
Duminy added:
"That’s why I classify him as one of the best finishers in the world. He is just 33-34 and is fit and strong. The best is yet to come for David Miller."
David Miller said 𝘉𝘢𝘪𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 50 🔥 https://t.co/fWcS9jHqf7
JP Duminy on importance of the right 'transition' in South African cricket
After South Africa's embarrassing loss to the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup last year, there has been talk of the team making major changes to their white-ball setup.
With Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Evan Jones and others showing their class in franchise cricket, it's clear that the Proteas have plenty of talent at their disposal. Sportskeeda asked JP Duminy whether it was the right time to blood them into the South African team. Here's what he stated:
"It can’t be just a blanket approach where everybody gets axed. It doesn’t work like that. Importantly, you need to have a group of senior guys to help with the process. Because you can’t buy experience.
"You need the young guys to first find their feet with the senior guys who will help them get those experiences. I am certainly excited about the names you mentioned, there’s certainly not a lack of talent in South African cricket. It’s just about nurturing it."
The Paarl Royals will face the Johannesburg Super Kings in the semifinals of SA20 if they beat the Pretoria Capitals in their match on Tuesday, February 7.