Cricket Australia announced Short’s selection as a batting all-rounder yesterday.

This will be the third tournament where the former East Ballarat youngster has represented Australia in this age group.

After graduating from the Victorian under-17 team and a national under-18 development squad, he made his international debut in a series against New Zealand in April last year.

Short then lined up against NZ, India and Papua New Guinea in Darwin in July.

Short’s selection for the World Cup continues the 18-year-old’s meteoric rise in the sport this season.

He is also a development player with Victorian Bushrangers and “Big Bash” twenty20 team Melbourne Renegades.

Cricket Australia national talent manager Greg Chappell said the World Cup was a wonderful opportunity for the country’s best young talent to perform on the international stage.

Chappell said Short would have a dual role.

“Tom Andrews is our specialist spinner and will be supported by top-order batsmen Matthew Short and Kelvin Smith, who each bowl quality off-spin,” he said.

“Our batting is a good mix of left- and right-handers, explosive strikers and players that can build partnerships and have the ability to make big scores and take us to competitive totals.”

The squad will be coached by Cricket Australia’s high-performance coach Graeme Hick and will leave Australia at the end of this month to play three lead-up matches in Sri Lanka.

Squad: Thomas Andrews (NT), Ben Ashkenazi (Vic), James Bazley (Qld), Jake Doran (NSW), Matthew Fotia (Vic), Alex Gregory (SA), Benjamin McDermott (Qld), Jaron Morgan (WA), Damien Mortimer (NSW), Matthew Short (Vic), Kelvin Smith (SA), Billy Stanlake (Qld), Cameron Valente (SA), Guy Walker (Vic), Sean Willis (Tas), 

Australia’s group fixtures:

Saturday, February 15: Australia v Namibia at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, February 17: Australia v Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi Oval 2

Wednesday, February 19: Australia v Bangladesh at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Short represented Central Highlands in the third day of the Victorian under-18 championships in Melbourne yesterday.

While he missed out with the bat as an opener, making just four runs, he did take 3-43 as the Highlanders defeated Inner East Emus. 

Story and scoreboards, page 43