'Not worried about failures in chasing'AHMEDABAD: South Africa, who missed the semifinals of the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup, is excited to be back in the last four of this year's tournament, star middle-order batter David Miller said on Thursday. The southpaw was interacting with media persons on the eve of their last round-robin clash against Afghanistan.
Asked about the feeling in the camp about a likely semifinal against Australia whom they faced in a series at home just before the showpiece event, Miller said, "Yeah, we played them before the World Cup, so, kind of a dress rehearsal there. And we've played them quite a bit in the past. So, we know what to expect. And they're always a competitive team. They've got some incredible players and match winners and stuff amongst their team.
"I think from our side it's just one game at a time. Tomorrow (Friday), it is really important for us to nail down things that we want to work on. And then comes the semifinal, I mean, obviously, it doesn't really get better than that. A lot of excitement. It's just a great occasion to be a part of," he added.
"We missed out in 2019. We made the semis in 2015. So really excited to be back in the semis and have a great opportunity and (a) great shot to make the final," he further stated.
Asked if allrounder Glenn Maxwell has inspired him to hit a double century from number six, Miller nodded in affirmative.
"Of course. Seeing a knock like that was really special. He's an x-factor, a match winner. It was inspiring to see no foot movement there and still hitting sixes and fours, from a game where they were dead and buried. I suppose where the game of cricket is going, you kind of always believe as you go along. You just tick over the balls, get through the overs, and kind of see how it unfolds. And you never know what is possible. So just keep believing throughout," the 34-year-old said.
Asked what the team was looking forward to in the clash against Afghanistan, Miller said, "I think for us, it's just continuing what we've really done in this World Cup and just nailing down on areas that we want to improve in. I think it's a great opportunity to showcase what we can do and get some momentum into that semifinal."
Told about the two unsuccessful chases which resulted in defeats against the Netherlands and India, Miller brushed it off by saying that it was not a huge issue. "I think we have chased a lot of games in the past, and I don't think it's something that is a huge issue at all. The guys certainly have the skill and believe that we can chase anything. I think it's just compared to what we have done batting first, which has been exceptional," said Miller, who has scored 231 runs in the tournament.
"We haven't been horrific while chasing. It's just been one or two games where we slipped up, which is part of the game," he said.
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