South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been rested for the last two Twenty20 Internationals against Pakistan. The team will be led by David Miller in his absence.
Apart from resting du Plessis ahead of a packed cricket calendar leading to the world cup, the South African team management are also looking at this as an opportunity to broaden their ‘leadership resources’.
Explaining the decision, Linda Zondi, South Africa’s national selection panel convener, said: “Giving David a leadership role is another way that we are broadening our leadership resources within our respective squads. David has a wealth of experience and is a well-respected figure within the Proteas environment. The last two matches will be an opportunity for us to grow potential leaders for the future.”
While du Plessis crunched a fine 45-ball 78 to give ample evidence of his form in the opening match at Newlands, Miller didn’t have a notable outing with the bat. However, he took four catches and effected two game-changing run outs to bag a rare Player of the Match award for fielding in South Africa’s six-run win.
In the absence of an injured Quinton de Kock and du Plessis, Miller will have a highly inexperienced squad at his disposal to complete a series victory over the No.1 ranked side.
