New Delhi [India], September 1 : Ahead of the first ODI against England, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma has said that David Miller remains in contention for ODIs in the future despite his absence from the Proteas squad for their one-day series in England.
The 36-year-old batter hasn't featured in international cricket since the Champions Trophy in March, and he also missed South Africa's white-ball tour to Australia in August while playing for the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.
He will not participate in the ODI series. However, he will return for the three T20Is that begin on September 10.
"What I understand is that those communications were done during his contract times, in terms of him being available during this period for the Hundred. Essentially, he wasn't available for selection, but I stand by the correction regarding that... David's still within the mix in the ODI stuff, if that answers your question," Temba Bavuma said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"The Australia tour would've coincided with the Hundred. I guess any international commitments that occurred during the Hundred, David wasn't available for. Unfortunately, the one-day [series], it clashes: he wasn't part of our build-up. But then with the T20 stuff, the Hundred is done, he'll fall back into the team," he added.
Miller has an impressive ODI record, with 4611 runs in 178 fixtures, playing at an average of 42.30 while striking at a strike rate of 103, and a highest score of 139. He has smashed 24 fifties and seven centuries, with 342 fours and 144 sixes in his ODI career.
South Africa is coming on the back of an ODI series win against Australia, having lost the preceding, closely-contested T20I series by a 2-1 margin. The T20I series presents a valuable stage for preparation en route to next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
South Africa squads:
ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Toni de Zorzi, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Matthew Breetzke, Kwena Maphaka, Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Nandre Burger, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Senuran Muthusamy.
T20I squad: Aiden Markram (c), Keshav Maharaj, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka, Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Ryan Rickelton, Donovan Ferreira, Senuran Muthusamy, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams.