'I don't have to be the captain to take on a leadership role for South Africa'
David Miller on taking more responsibility, the 2023 World Cup, and working with Mark Boucher
"My priority is still South Africa. I love playing for the country and I love the challenge of playing against the best in the world, so it's never been an option for me to give it up" • AFP/Getty Images
It was during the first match of the ODI series in Paarl. Everyone knows what had gone on with Cricket South Africa and the number of retirements we've had, and that we have a new crop of players in the team. I always thought, even with all those things, we were in a great space because we had a lot of guys who have been around the block, even though not at international level. They are all very experienced domestically. So I just told them that now is the time we need confidence and self-belief to go forward and we need a shift in mindset.
I enjoy being a leader, and off the field and during practices, I like to help the guys. When I came up, there were a lot of leaders around and I learnt a lot from them. Then there comes a time when you have to step up and you realise you can lead too. After the 2019 World Cup, I had some time to reflect and I realised that maybe because I always had senior players around me, I didn't necessarily need to step up, but now that they are gone, it's my responsibility to lead. So I changed my mindset.
With a World Cup, we know that only one team can win, but the way we played and the number of things that didn't go our way - it was really tough.
I've never been one to rush into decisions, so when I made the decision to stop playing first-class cricket, I had thought about it for a long time. I knew I didn't start well in my first-class career and that had pushed me to the back of the pecking order, which was fair enough. I also knew I couldn't pick and choose between T20 and first-class, so that's when I made the decision. But things can change and there may still be hope. I might have to have a discussion with Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher and it could be a possibility.
I absolutely love it. I still love watching Test cricket and I always wanted to play Tests. That was my goal growing up. And after my start, I found that in the last few years of my first-class career, I was scoring heaps and I was really enjoying it. I think I got better as I got older. I was building my innings better.
I've always wanted to bat higher, but at the same time, I felt really privileged to be playing. As you move on in your career, you want more responsibility and more time to get set and then finish off. We all have dreams, but it is also about what's best for the team.
It's part of the position that I play, so I've become thick-skinned. No one has to tell me that I should have won a game because I am the first one to know that I should have. It's taken time for me to get used to that role and to what gets said about you when things don't go your way, but then, on the other side, when the rewards come, they are so high that it makes it worthwhile.
Power-hitting and clearing the rope are things I worked hard on earlier in my career. But now, mentally I am in a great space, so I am working on a few other things. It makes a big difference having Mark Boucher around. He has taught us that the game is always evolving. Guys are getting quicker and smarter, and if you don't keep working to get better, you will fall away. He has got us working on different skills and shots and putting myself under pressure in the nets so that I am prepared for different game-day scenarios.
He is so experienced and has played for so long, and him and I have had similar roles in the middle order, so I can pick his brain. He is honest and open, but he is also cut-throat, which you want as a player. There's no beating around the bush. You know exactly where you stand.
The 2023 World Cup is one of my goals and I am excited for what we can do in that tournament. We have a group that is in a similar space - a lot of young guys who are all a similar age and we know they will be available. It's not a case of a whole lot of guys retiring after two years. It's almost like we can grow for the next four years and it's only a matter of time before things click.
We are right up there talent-wise and we produce a lot of good players. Maybe what we've lacked is pressure in domestic cricket, because we don't draw the crowds that other countries get and that plays a big role in helping you cope with pressure. That could be something we need to look at and it's started with the Mzansi Super League.
All the leagues are unique. The ones I have played in most are the IPL and the CPL. The IPL is a cut above the rest, in terms of pressure, which is what you want. In every game, you are playing in front of 40,000 to 90,000 people. Then, off the field and in hotels, there are a lot of demands, from the public and the owners, so there's a lot going on.
The 2015 World Cup, which might be surprising. It was disappointing to lose and maybe we played some average cricket through the competition, but it was just a really good team vibe and a really good time in my career. I felt like I was playing well and the environment was good and the two months we spent in Australia and New Zealand were really special, even after how it ended. So hopefully we can create something similar again.
It's tough. I've got a back garden, so I am doing some workouts there, and I've got a passage, so I am hitting tennis balls, which takes me back to my days as a youngster. But that's it. It's frustrating because going into the nets is also a release for me. It gets me in a good space and it's what I love, but I can't do that at the moment. But I also know we are all in the same boat, so it's just about dealing with it for now. And once the lockdown ends, we can see what we can do in terms of team camps and hopefully we can get going again.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent