THEY both bat left-handed, both hit the ball a long way, both keep their heads under pressure, and were both born on June 10 – albeit eight years apart.
They are Albie Morkel and David Miller, and they will loom large in SA’s bid to win the World T20 in Bangladesh.
Before his surprise recall to SA’s T20 squad this season, Morkel, 32, last played for the Proteas against India in Colombo in October last year in the 2012-13 WT20. Miller, 24, has played in 21 of SA’s last 33 games in the format.
Aside from his value as a medium pacer, Morkel has been respected as a late order hitter for much of his career. His 255 caps, won for the teams as far flung as the Chennai Super Kings, Derbyshire, Durham, Somerset, the St Lucia Zouks and the Titans, make him the world’s most experienced player in the format.
But, at times, Morkel has hit the headlines harder for being left out of SA’s squad than he himself has hit the ball.
Miller sprang to international prominence on his debut by top-scoring with 33 in SA’s one-run win over the West Indies in a T20 in Antigua in May 2010.
He has earned a reputation for catch phrases like “if it’s in the arc it’s out the park”, and he backed up his snappy slogans in convincing fashion by smashing 101 not out off 38 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
In his 12 completed T20 innings for SA, Miller has been dismissed in single figures just three times.
Both Morkel and Miller saw action in SA’s first WT20 warm-up match against Bangladesh A in Sylhet on Tuesday.
Batting at number five, Miller scored six off seven balls before being stumped.
Morkel’s experience, however, shone through in his unbeaten 27 off 12 balls, which he scored from number seven.
The next day SA dismissed Pakistan for 71 and, consequently, Morkel did not get a chance to bat. Miller, though, came in at number three and made 12 not out off 23.
While he was establishing himself in the national team, Miller seemed resigned to being moved around the batting line- up.
“If I bat up the order, I want to make a difference with that promotion,” Miller said in Bangladesh this week.
“If I get two overs at the end of the innings, I want to make a difference in those two overs.”
He was coping with the transition to the highest level in the shortest, fastest format.
“I’m going to stick to what has been working for the last few years,” said Miller.
“It’s a lot quicker at international level, but the IPL is the closest to that.”
Both Morkel and Miller seem set to play in SA’s tournament opener against Sri Lanka in Chittagong today, but Miller will probably be sent in earlier than Morkel and will thus have more opportunity to impress.
However, Morkel has proven himself adept at making the most use of scant opportunities – in his 34 T20 innings for SA, only twice has he faced more than 20 balls.
But, if they celebrate their birthday together on June 10, they won’t quibble over the stats of the matter if there’s a WT20 trophy on the cake.