Bavuma insists Miller still in South Africa’s ODI plans despite missing series against England

Leeds, Sep 1 Captain Temba Bavuma has insisted veteran left-handed batter David Miller remains in South Africa’s ODI plans for the 2027 World Cup despite not being in the side’s squad for the upcoming series against England, starting at Headingley on Tuesday.

Miller, 36, has not featured in international cricket since South Africa’s run to the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final in March. He then signed a hybrid contract with Cricket South Africa (CSA).

Miller skipped South Africa’s white-ball tour of Australia in August to play for Northern Superchargers in the recently concluded The Hundred, and is absent from the ODI squad in England. Miller, though, will return for the three-match T20I series starting on September 10.

"What I understand is that those communications were done during his contract times, in terms of him being available during this period for the Hundred. Essentially, he wasn't available for selection - but I stand by the correction around that… David's still within the mix in the ODI stuff, if that answers your question."

"The Australia tour would've coincided with the Hundred. I guess any international commitments that occurred during the Hundred, David wasn't available for. Unfortunately, the one-day [series] it clashes with: he wasn't part of our build-up. But then with the T20 stuff, the Hundred is done, he'll fall back into the team," said Bavuma to reporters on Monday.

Miller, who will be 38 when the 2027 World Cup takes place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, averages 42.30 in ODIs at a strike rate of 103.68 coming off in more than 150 innings. His recent form in the Hundred was encouraging too – amassing 133 runs in five innings for the Superchargers.

South Africa will also miss the services of Matthew Breetzke and Kagiso Rabada in Tuesday’s series-opener due to minor niggles. Bavuma stated the series in England forms part of South Africa’s longer-term preparation for the 2027 World Cup. "That's the bigger picture… But we'd like to bring ourselves back to here and what we need to do to be successful in England."

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