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Australian cricket legend Keith Miller passed away peacefully today, aged 84, in a nursing home on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne. Miller was regarded by many as the greatest all-rounder Australia ever produced, and was an icon of Victorian, Australian and international cricket alike.
A former World War II fighter pilot, Miller helped the game regain its popularity in the dark post-war era with his spectacular batting, bowling and fielding. The golden way in which he lit up cricket during these post-war years earned him the nickname "Nugget".
Miller was part of Australia's 1948 tour of England, who later returned hailed as "the Invincibles", and are recognised by many as the best side ever assembled. The survivors of that tour are Bill Brown, Arthur Morris, Neil Harvey, Ron Hamence, Bill Johnston and Sam Loxton. Doug Ring and Ernie Toshack both passed away last year.
Miller made a belated Test debut in 1946 under the captaincy of Brown, Australia's oldest living Test cricketer.
"He was the finest all-rounder I came into contact with - he could bat, bowl, field and he could fly an aeroplane," Brown said today.
"You could bat him anywhere you want to, he was a strong hitter of the ball, he had a very good pair of hands - especially in close - and you could always give him the new ball with confidence. I don’t know a lot about his flying days but I know he flew Mosquitoes and they were in the thick of the action, and I admire him for that very much."
Indeed, Miller's war feats, including performances for the air force and Australian services team, earned him much admiration among his peers. When asked if he ever felt under pressure during a match, he replied: "Pressure, I’ll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmidt up your arse, playing cricket is not."
There are numerous anecdotes relating to Miller, largely due to his quick wit, self-confidence, disregard for officialdom - which in turn cost him the Australian captaincy for which he was well-qualified, immense sporting ability and movie star looks. A talented Australian Rules player, he played 50 games for St. Kilda and represented Victoria in 1946 before moving to Sydney. He kicked eight goals in one game, while famously holding the great Bob Pratt goalless in another.
To this day Miller is one of only three Australians honoured with his portrait in the Lord's Long Room, alongside Sir Donald Bradman and Victor Trumper. His last public appearance came at the unveiling of a statue depicting him outside the MCG in February this year.
Miller made 55 Test appearances for Australia, scoring 2958 runs at 36.97 and snaring 170 wickets with the ball at 22.97 - impressive figures that some maintain belie his immense talent, partly due to his laidback and confident attitude. His sporting talent could never be denied.
At age 18, he made 181 on first-class for debut; at age 36 he would claim his first ten-wicket haul in a match. Upon retirement in 1956 he spent twenty years as the cricket correspondent for London's Daily Express, and later was awarded with an MBE for services to cricket.
Among other honours, he was named at 6 in Australia's team of the 20th century, included in Bradman's best Australian XI of all-time - although their careers overlapped only briefly, and was Wisden's cricketer of the year in 1954. He was a decorated man, whose talents were perhaps even more feted in England than in his own country, and never missed a good party until illness immobilised him in the latter stages of his life.
Actor and noted cricket fan Christopher Reeve, who showed Herculean bravery in combating a near-fatal spinal cord injury after being injured in a fall, also passed away today; it is indeed saddening that we have lost not one Superman, but at least two.
Miller is survived by his wife, Marie, who was by his bedside when he passed away.
