Rossouw to give Proteas a boost, says skipper Miller

Stand-in captain David Miller believes the addition of experienced batsman Rilee Rossouw will add another dimension to the Proteas batting line-up as they prepare to take on England in the first T20 international in Bristol on Wednesday. 

The Proteas will be looking to give their English counterparts a good run for their money in what could be some tricky conditions at the Seat Unique Stadium.

The sides are coming off the back of a one-day international series draw, both claiming convincing wins before the decider was rained out.

“It is great to have Rilee back,” Miller said. “I started my career with him, we welcome him all the way and we are fully behind him.

“He has a serious record. He has been around the world and played in different leagues so he has immense experience.

“He has been in the UK for a couple of years, so it will be nice having him here for these conditions as well. He is a great asset [for us] leading into this T20 competition,” Miller said.

Miller, the most capped SA T20 player with 100 caps, believes the secret to success as a captain is to remain calm.

“I have captained [sides] on a few occasions in my career. I have learnt that things can get a bit frantic out there, but it is just about having clear plans along with staying as calm as possible. So I have done a bit of prep work to be ready for tomorrow and the matches that will follow,” Miller said.

With regular white-ball captain Temba Bavuma missing the entire series, it was a bit frustrating for the side to not have their full complement of players, Miller said.

“It does become a bit challenging when we have injuries [or players missing], but it is a part of the game.

“Over the past year and a half we have assembled a squad we are pretty happy with.

“Temba not being here doesn’t help but it allows us to see other players around the country and have a good look at them leading into the World Cup,” he explained.

Miller believes England are a serious team with much ambition. “The England side has come a long way in the past couple of years and they are a formidable team.

“Jos [Buttler] has played a lot of cricket under Eoin Morgan [recently retired captain], he has great experience, is someone who has travelled around the world, plays IPL, and has done well on the international circuit, so they are a serious team.

“However, to counter that, we’ve got a serious team too, so I think it is going to be a good series.

“Every team going to the World Cup has a chance to win the World Cup. They [England] showed what they are capable of with the white-ball stuff in the past few months and years.

“I feel there are a lot of seriously good teams going to this World Cup and I think it is all about who does the right things at the right times,” said Miller.

Miller also said the younger players in the side have been fitting in nicely and he hopes they can put up their hand when it matters most.