Australia’s top-order batsman Matthew Short has thrown his hat in the ring to be the team’s captain for the T20I series against Pakistan.
Cricket Australia has not named a captain for the team that will take on Pakistan in the three-match series in place of Mitchell Marsh who is on paternity leave.
Although Matthew Short has under 20 international appearances in white-ball cricket, the 28-year-old Victorian impressed as skipper for the Adelaide Strikers in the last Big Bash League (BBL) season, where he was elevated to lead the T20 side. Short will have to beat out Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Josh Inglis for the role but has expressed confidence that he can succeed if given the honor.
“I’ve had a bit of experience captaining the Strikers, and I really enjoyed making some of those tough calls,” Short told reporters. “The selectors haven’t decided yet, but if they want me, I’d definitely be up for it.”
Captaincy will be a significant step for Matthew Short, especially after narrowly missing a place in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad for the U.S. and the West Indies.
The aggressive batter has benefited from David Warner’s retirement and is competing with Jake Fraser-McGurk, for a spot at the top of the order alongside Travis Head in Australia’s white-ball setup. The two batters will effectively square off in an unofficial “bat-off” when they open for Australia in the first of three ODIs against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
The T20 series kicks off in Brisbane on November 14 with Matthew Short going up against his Adelaide coach Jason Gillespie.