Few would look at an innings of 82 not out off 45 balls and think it played second fiddle to another knock in a game, but when David Miller walked off unbeaten at the end of South Africa's 50 overs in Centurion earlier this month, all the applause was focused on Heinrich Klaasen's freakish 174 off 83 balls, which took his side to 416 against Australia. Two days later, Miller scored another half-century, 63 off 65, as South Africa posted 315 and sealed the series 3-2. Once more, his innings was overshadowed - by Aiden Markram's 93 and Marco Jansen's all-round heroics. As the most experienced player in South Africa's ODI World Cup squad, Miller really shouldn't be flying under the radar ahead of what will likely be his last tilt at the title. His ice-cool exterior on the field is in evidence during our interview earlier this year. Sitting in a deck chair by the pool of a luxury hotel, Miller looks relaxed, but when he starts talking about this current South Africa side, he leans forward, the excitement almost palpable in his voice.

What happens when the ODI World Cup meets a T20 mindset? No, he doesn't mind if he isn't the centre of attention. "We've actually got a world-class top six," he says. "Quinton de Kock has that power up top, Aiden Markram strikes easy boundaries, Rassie [van der Dussen] can literally destroy the opposition, Klaasen… we've got a lot of power-hitters in the top six. I'm sure the coach would be open to moving me up one or two games, seeing how a game goes, but for now, I think we've pretty much got our structure and it seems to be working."

We're talking at a time when Miller is in form, though, in fairness, that doesn't really narrow it down much. His impressive run has extended across formats and seasons for so long now it's less a purple patch than a sparkling late chapter in a career that feels like it has still got some ways to run. His vastly improved numbers in T20 cricket since 2021 have made him an even more coveted asset in the franchise league circuit, but his ODI rise in that time has bordered on the meteoric.

Since July 2019, the start of this World Cup cycle, he averages just under 61 with a strike rate of 114.15; in the nine years before that period, his average was around 39 and strike rate a fraction over a run a ball. Miller has batted at No. 5 or lower in every one of his post-World Cup innings and yet he has been scoring his runs faster than ever, and scoring more of them.

He accepts, somewhat reluctantly, what anyone who has watched him of late has believed for some time: this is a cricketer in his prime. But he's keen to stress the value of his experience, which has enabled him to understand his game, as well as his abilities. "I've been around for a long time," he says. "I do love what I do - I think that's very important. When you go through tough times, it gets you through. But I feel like I am in my prime; I have been for the last four years, and I'm playing really good cricket. And as long as I can keep my body fit and healthy, I can play.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)