da realsbet： Colin Miller, the hero of every sporting thirty-something still waitinghopefully by the phone for a call from the national selectors, hasretired from first-class cricket.
AAP02-Jul-2002Colin Miller, the hero of every sporting thirty-something still waitinghopefully by the phone for a call from the national selectors, hasretired from first-class cricket.Miller made his Test cricket debut at the ripe old age of 34 in one ofthe best Australian sides ever.He called it quits four years later when new Victorian coach DavidHookes made it clear there was no place for him in a rebuildingBushrangers side that stumbled through last season.”David and I get on well together, we go back a long way and we had along talk about it,” Miller said.”I was pleased because I knew David would either say yes or no to me onwhether I was going to play or not.”He wouldn’t make me hang around for two or three games a season, whichis what happened to me last year.”Miller started his first-class career as a medium-pacer with Victoriaway back in 1985-86, only a year after Allan Border had replaced atearful Kim Hughes as Australian skipper.Without making much impression on the first-class scene, Miller moved toSouth Australia in 1988-89 and then to Tasmania four years later.The turning point, literally, came when he started dabbling in off-spin.He finally came to the attention of the national selectors when he tooka record 67 Sheffield Shield wickets for Tasmania in 1997-98 with amixture of spin and medium pace.Miller made his Test debut against Pakistan the following season,claiming a wicket with his fifth delivery.”Certainly the last four years exceeded all expectations, from the timeI turned 34 it all changed for me for the better,” said the 38-year-oldMiller.”I had a great time with the Australian team, it’s more than I couldhave expected.”The 18 Tests for Australia, I don’t think I had a bad game.”I know my figures stack up pretty well for what I did – coming in at anolder age I can hold my head pretty high.”Miller claimed 69 Test wickets at an average of 26.15 with his mixtureof off-spin and medium pace and was voted the Australian Test player ofthe year in 2001.He also took 446 first-class wickets at 30.97.But that was only part of the story.Miller’s laid-back attitude was reminiscent of an earlier era, even ifhis constantly changing hair colour was not.Along with the wickets, wins and awards, Miller listed the chance totravel the world as one of his career highlights.He had seven years playing club cricket in England and another two inthe Netherlands.But right now his plans for next summer don’t extend much beyond playingfor Footscray in the Victorian district competition “enjoying a fewlie-ins, catching up with my friends and living a more normallifestyle”.