Short open to middle-order World Cup role

D’Arcy Short still believes he can still play a role for Australia at next year’s T20 World Cup despite Aaron Finch and David Warner having a stranglehold over his favoured opening position.

Short, a two-time KFC BBL player of the tournament, will commence his BBL|09 campaign against Sydney Sixers in Alice Springs on Friday and is eyeing off a middle-order spot as a way back into Australia’s T20 side.

The left-hander will again open for the Hobart Hurricanes this season, which he concedes will make it hard to push his case for a role further down the order at the World Cup.

But he’s not given up hope of making an impact in a maiden Cup campaign.

“I definitely think I’ve got the skills to do it (bat in the middle order), but it’s hard when I’m opening for the Hurricanes,” Short told cricket.com.au in Alice Springs on Thursday.

“That’s where they want me to bat and I’ll continue to bat there. But if I can bat through games and finish games off, that will hold me in good stead for the World Cup and hopefully batting in the middle order.”

Despite personal ambitions to bat down the order at an international level, Short has put the Hurricanes first and hasn’t pushed to do the same at BBL level.

“I haven’t explored it,” he said. “I’m here to open, that’s where they want me to bat and that’s where I’m most suited to.

“But I believe in myself that I can bat down the order and do a job down there as well if needed to.

“Hopefully I can get into that squad and play in a World Cup. But all I can do for myself is keep working on my game and keep scoring runs.”

Short has an impressive record in T20 cricket for Australia, striking at more than 120 at the top of the order, and made vital contributions on their tour of India earlier this year.

But Warner’s return from a 12-month ban, and the hot run of form he and Finch enjoyed in Australia’s six-match unbeaten run to start the home summer, has forced Short out of the side.

Hobart have taken their opening home game of the BBL season to the Red Centre as part of a partnership between Cricket Tasmania and Northern Territory Cricket.

The Hurricanes players sweated it out in temperatures nudging 45 degrees Celsius at Traeger Park on Thursday, while the Sixers arrived in Alice Springs after their big win over Perth Scorchers on Wednesday night.

Short will have an unfamiliar sight joining him at the top of the order against the Sixers, with his regular opening partner Matthew Wade unavailable due to Test duty.

One of Caleb Jewell or Mac Wright are tipped to open the innings, with a powerful middle order to follow including captain Ben McDermott, import David Miller and veteran George Bailey.

“It’ll be tough not having him for the first game,” Short said of Wade, with whom he shared a dynamic opening partnership last season.

“But whoever will decide on opening will do a good job anyway. So we’re looking forward to seeing what comes out of it.”