There’s a lesson in the quiet rise of Kyle Mills that, if heeded, might go a long toward changing the direction of New Zealand cricket. In conversation he is disarmingly candid, speaking openly about the strengths and weaknesses of his colleagues in a way which is entirely in opposition to the guarded banalities we have come to expect from our sports stars. He has the same unflinching honesty about his own merits, stating matter-of-factly that he has “never been the most talented cricketer on any team” he’s played on.

Given that he is now the cornerstone of our one day bowling attack it’s hard to give that statement much credence. At least until you place it in context. For most of the hour or so we while away talking cricket on a sparkling autumn day in Mission Bay he is referring, either elliptically or head on, to the concepts of hard work and discipline, and of their paramount importance to the success of any cricket team. To watch Mills bowl is to see discipline in its purest form. He hasn’t got blazing pace or head-spinning variations – just a knack for putting the ball in the right place over after over, day after day. It’s the mark of a player who made his limitations his strengths, who used his brain as much as his shoulders, and who knew that to succeed he would have to think and train harder than everyone else.[+] read more