ALL-ROUNDER Matt Short faces a race to prove his fitness for an Australian three-match Twenty20 tour of New Zealand in a fortnight's time.
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The East Ballarat cricket export has been named on February 6 in a full-strength squad alongside the likes of Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc set for a return to the short-form game.
This comes two days after Short was left nursing a low-grade hamstring injury after chalking up 41 runs off 55 balls batting at number six in Australia's second one-day international against the West Indies in Sydney.
He did not field in the evening session and was replaced by Queenslander Ben McDermott, fresh off a Sheffield Shield century, for the third ODI in Canberra on February 6.
In the Sydney ODI, Short had built a 51-run partnership with Aaron Hardie to help steady the Australian innings. Hardie will now take Short's place in the Australian squad for a Twenty20 home series against the West Indies starting February 9.
Injury has been a tough blow for the 28-year-old who had been looking to establish himself in the Australian ODI squad after last week being named the Big Bash League player of the tournament for a second consecutive season.
A Cricket Australia report states Short's recovery would be monitored, but he was expected to be fit to head to New Zealand.
Short remains a chance to partner David Warner for the ICC Men's Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States in June. Warner's fellow opener is likely between Short and Head who opened together against South Africa in August 2023, each reaching a half-century.
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In a big 2024 ahead for Short, he and financee Madi Wilson also last week announced they have a baby due in late August.
Wilson, a two-time Olympic women's 4x100-metre freestyle gold medallist, will be unavailable for the Australian Dolphins in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Short is set to play Major League Cricket in the US and The Hundred in the United Kingdom when their baby is due.
Australia's Twenty20 squad to tour New Zealand: Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
