Champions Trophy 2025: David Miller Criticizes ICC's Scheduling Amid 'Venue Advantage' Debate After South Africa's Semi-Final Loss To New Zealand

South Africa’s David Miller voiced his frustration with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the scheduling issues surrounding the 2025 Champions Trophy. After his side’s 50-run loss to New Zealand in the semifinal on Wednesday, Miller pointed out the inconvenience caused by the travel arrangements.

Despite his valiant century in the match, South Africa lost the match by 50 runs. Miller was disappointed with the disrupted travel schedule. Speaking during the press conference, Miller said, “It’s only an hour and 40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,”

He added,“It was early morning, right after a game, and we had to fly. We arrived in Dubai at 4:00 pm and then had to fly back at 7:30 am. It’s not like we flew five hours and had enough time to recover and rest, but the situation wasn’t ideal.”

This scheduling issue arose due to the tournament’s unusual travel arrangements, with teams like South Africa and Australia having to travel back and forth between Pakistan and Dubai. India are playing all their matches in Dubai due to the country’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for political and security reasons. The decision has raised a lot of questions with critics stating that the T20 World Cup champions are being handed venue advantage.

Miller backs New Zealand to win Champions Trophy

Despite scoring century, Miller failed to take the team past the finish line. The New Zealand will now face India in the final. Although India have emerged as the overwhelming favourite after scripting an unbeaten run in the tournament, Miller admitted he will back the Kiwis to pull off a stunner on Sunday. While predicting a great final, Miller added: "I'll be honest with you, I think I'll be supporting New Zealand."