Short set for long stay in ODI team

The meteoric rise of D'Arcy Short is set to climb another peak in the coming weeks as he readies for an ODI debut and the chance to forge an opening partnership that could take him all the way to next year's World Cup, and beyond.

Short exploded onto the national scene last summer with a breakthrough Big Bash League season and now appears all-but certain to partner Aaron Finch in a five-match ODI series against England.

His power-hitting with the Hobart Hurricanes made him an automatic pick for Australia's T20 side in February's tri-series with England and New Zealand, and he duly delivered, with knocks of 36*, 76 and 50 as Australia stormed to the trophy undefeated.

"I took a lot of confidence out of that tour, especially after doing well for myself," Short said on Tuesday at Lord's.

"So hopefully I can keep going on with that and do it in the ODI series as well if I get a go.

"It's a different set-up now in terms of being one-day cricket but it's something we can definitely take confidence out of and bring into this tournament."

Short's irresistible T20 form meant Aaron Finch was bumped down to Australia's middle order in that tri-series. But with David Warner serving his 12-month suspension for his part in the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, the duo will stride out together over the next month, starting with two warm-up games against county opposition.

"I think we bounce off each other quite well out in the middle and communicate quite well as well," Short says.

He was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals at the IPL auction for A$775,000 but had a less than auspicious start as he was run out in each of his first two innings. He hit back with some form, but consistency was hard to find as he was in and out of the side.

"The IPL experience was quite a different one for me, I struggled a little bit at the start, obviously getting run out twice," he says.

"So it wasn't the greatest start but definitely a good experience in the end and hopefully I've learned a lot from it and can take that into this tournament.

"I faced a lot of spin over there. So hopefully I can put that to use here. (I was) working on spin and different parts of my game rather than just being one-dimensional."

One extra dimension is a vastly improved left-arm leg spin that could be a wicket-taking threat for the Australians after Short spent the IPL with none other than the great Shane Warne as his mentor at Rajasthan.

"(My bowling) has come a long way in that short amount of time and I'm feeling pretty confident with it," Short said.

"I don't think I even scratched the surface (of Warne's knowledge). What I did learn was quite good and helpful for me."

Short was bowling alongside Nathan Lyon at Australia's training session at Lord's, putting to use the words of advice and key insights on game plans and strategy from Warne.

"His cricket brain is just amazing really," Short told cricket.com.au last month. "The way he thinks is quite different, but you get why he thinks that way.

"Just the little things he picked up on, you wouldn't even think about. He likes my bowling, so I guess that's a good thing.

"I'd like to hope I can get a bowl (in England) and contribute with that. I'll always be working on it so hopefully it's good enough for me to bowl in games and get wickets."

While Short was spinning leg-breaks and smacking bowlers in the nets with the senior men's team at Lord's in central London, 100km away on England's south coach the Aboriginal XI were playing the first matches of their historic tour against the MCC at Arundel Castle.

The 2018 squad is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Aboriginal side that toured the UK in 1868, which was Australia's first ever international sporting tour.

Short had originally been earmarked for the Aboriginal XI, and the boy from Kununurra, a town on the WA-Northern Territory border, some 800 kilometres south-west of Darwin, is looking forward to catching up with his mates when they join the senior Australian men's team at Lord's on Wednesday.

"I definitely would have liked to do both tours if I could have, but obviously Australia selection takes over.

"It means a lot, they get the opportunity to come over here and play against some County sides and do the same tour as they back, the first tour they had, it's good for them, and definitely good for the Indigenous squad to get over here."

Short takes pride in his status as a role model for aspiring Indigenous cricketers, and has first-hand experience at how that team can lead to bigger and better things.

"It just puts belief back into them they can go a bit further as well. It definitely did for me in terms of getting a go there and then making my way into state stuff and into the Aussie side," Short said.

"It's defintely a good pathway to get through and believe they can do it if they want to."

Short's story is well known, the ambitious power-hitter who left the NT for the bright lights of Perth to try and force his way into State cricket, only to wash out and disappear into the wilderness. The National Indigenous Squad offered him a path back.

He showed enough for the NIS in a match against Australia A to make Justin Langer's phone buzz, suggesting the bush kid might be worth another shot.

Langer sat Short down and delivered a blunt assessment of his fitness, desire and commitment. The criticism stung, but it was meant to.

"I've always found the best advice in life is really honest," Langer told cricket.com.au earlier this year. "So I told him: 'The perception around Western Australia is you've got some talent – you can hit a six – but you don't make any runs, and you're really out of shape. That to me is a sign of your discipline and your focus, and your commitment to the game'."

It sparked something in Short, setting him on a path out of the wilderness and onto the world stage.

"I was probably close to giving it up for a while," Short admits. "I had a good Indigenous tour in Brisbane which got me back to where I wanted to be. I got a chat with JL and it's kind of all gone quite quickly form there in the last two years.

"It's been quite a whirlwind experience in the last 12 months for me."

ODI squad: Tim Paine (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

Qantas Tour of England

June 7: Warm-up v Sussex, Hove (D/N)

June 9: Warm-up v Middlesex, Lord's

June 13: First ODI, The Oval (D/N)

June 16: Second ODI, Cardiff

June 19: Third ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N)

June 21: Fourth ODI, Durham (D/N)

June 24: Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Monday, July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

Tuesday, July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Wednesday, July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Thursday, July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

Friday, July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 8: Final