Australia are set to reshuffle their top order for the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final after opener Matthew Short sustained a quad injury during their match against Afghanistan. The injury, picked up late in Afghanistan’s innings, has left Short unlikely to recover in time for the crucial game.
Matthew Short, despite the injury, opened the batting alongside Travis Head but struggled to run between the wickets, relying on boundaries to score. He managed a quick 20 off 15 balls in a 44-run opening stand before being caught at mid-on. However, his limited mobility was evident, and captain Steven Smith admitted the recovery window was too short.
“I think he’ll be struggling,” Smith said during the post-match presentation. “We saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well. I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover.”
Australia have a few options to replace Short at the top of the order. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was brought in as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, is a like-for-like option. Alternatively, allrounder Aaron Hardie could be included if the team opts to shuffle the batting order.
Traveling reserve Cooper Connolly, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner could also be added to the squad if Short is officially ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
Short’s absence would also remove a spin-bowling option, as he bowled an economical seven overs for just 21 runs against Afghanistan. However, Australia still have part-time spin options in Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, the latter having taken two wickets against England.
Adding to the challenge, Australia won’t know their semi-final venue—Dubai or Lahore—until the conclusion of the India-New Zealand game on Sunday. If South Africa beat England on Saturday and top Group B, Australia will face the loser of India-New Zealand. If England win, Australia will face the winner.