OPINION: Should Miller follow Klaasen, opening the door for a younger player?
Miller has been as valuable to the Proteas as Klaasen, but he will be 38 when the 2027 World Cup rolls around.
As sad as it is to see Heinrich Klaasen stepping back from the international game, a little more than two years out from the World Cup on home soil, his timing might be perfect.
In 60 ODI matches, Klaasen made 2 141 runs at an average of 43.69 and a strike rate of 117.05, and in 58 T20 Internationals he hit 1 000 runs at an average of 23.25 and a strike rate of 141.84.
And he was in superb form in the latter stages of his international career. In his last six ODI matches, the 33-year-old player hit five half-centuries, contributing more than 80 runs in four of those innings.
But in terms of progression in the national team, and looking ahead to the future, his retirement has been well timed.
In November 2027, Klaasen will be 36, and it makes sense for him to open a door now for a younger player.
And as much as he too has become a key member of the Proteas limited overs teams, David Miller might also need to be thinking about retirement.
Incredible career
Like Klaasen, Miller has been phenomenal for the SA squad as a big-hitting middle-order batter.
In 178 ODI matches, Miller has made 4 611 runs at an average of 42.30 and a strike rate of 103.68, and in 130 T20 Internationals he has hit 2 591 runs at an average of 33.21 and a strike rate of 140.66.
And he too continues to play an important role. Over the last two years, Miller has made 723 runs in 22 ODI matches at an average of 42.52, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
Miller retains the same ability as Klaasen does to turn a game on its head, but he's not as consistent as he could be, and when the 2027 World Cup rolls around, he will be 38.
Opportunity for Brevis?
Perhaps he can keep going, but if he isn't going to play for another few years (and maintain his form), his replacement will need time to settle in before the global showpiece.
The absence of Klaasen might open the door for 19-year-old Lhuan-Dre Pretorius to take a spot in the middle order, as well as the gloves behind the stumps.
And if Miller isn't certain he'll be hungry enough in 2027, he too could open a door for someone like 22-year-old Dewald Brevis to join the team on a more permanent basis.
It will be as sad to see Miller go as it was to bid farewell to Klaasen, but the reality is that they can't play forever, and if new blood is needed in the build-up to the World Cup, those players will need to start finding some roots in the national squad.
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