Matthew Short

His senior red-ball career began in October 2015, when he made his first-class debut in a three-day fixture against the visiting New Zealand side. Securing a regular place in Victoria's Sheffield Shield line-up, however, has proved a difficult task for him.

Short's Big Bash journey had a slow start. The Melbourne Renegades signed him as a development rookie for 2013-2014, and he featured in two matches for them the season after. He was left out entirely for BBL 05 and managed just one appearance in BBL 06, against the Sydney Sixers. With little impact made in Melbourne, he joined the Adelaide Strikers for 2018/19. The real breakthrough arrived in 2021/22, when he was promoted to open the innings: he ended that campaign third on the run-scoring list and second for sixes hit.

He kept improving. The next season brought his first BBL hundred, scored during a record pursuit of 230 against the Hobart Hurricanes, and his efforts across that tournament earned him the Player of the Tournament award. Adelaide then handed him the captaincy for 2023/24, and his output rose even further.

That blend of explosive hitting, handy spin and strong recent form caught the attention of the national selectors. Short received his T20I cap during a brief series against South Africa in 2023, and his ODI debut came a month later in a series against India.