Matt Short's strong relationship with Tim Paine has helped the Adelaide Strikers opener embrace the pressure of leading a Big Bash team
Captaincy challenge pushes Short to new heights
Captaincy may not have made Matt Short a better batter or bowler but the Adelaide Strikers allrounder believes the "extra challenge" has developed him into a more complete player.
Short stormed to his second straight KFC BBL player of the tournament award last season after taking over the captaincy from Travis Head, who missed the entire campaign due to his international commitments.
His 541 runs at 60 was his career-best BBL season and his third consecutive campaign totalling more than 450 runs.
The 29-year-old led the Strikers on a late season charge into finals as they won five straight games before falling to eventual champions Brisbane Heat in the penultimate match of the tournament.
Short had only limited captaincy experience with the National Performance Squad, Cricket Australia XI and Victoria under-23s prior to taking on the Strikers role and credits former Australian Test skipper and newly appointed head coach Tim Paine in helping him navigate the high-pressure nature of leading a T20 team.
"I was pretty new to it and especially in T20 cricket it can be a bit of a mad slog when you're out there in the field and things aren’t going your way," Short told cricket.com.au on the eve of Adelaide's BBL|14 season opener against Sydney Thunder on Tuesday.
"I think the big reason they got him in last season (as an assistant) was to help me out as a new captain and tactically as well.
"Just all these little things you don't really worry about as a player but as a captain having 'Painey' around behind the scenes they are really noticeable."
Short said playing a role in helping put together the Strikers list for BBL|14 as they try to build on their strong finish to last season had been a rewarding experience.
"The tactics of who to bowl at what stage and even just talking about the squad and who to play – all the off-field stuff, I've really enjoyed, especially this year putting a squad together," the right-hander said.
"I think I'm just looking at (the captaincy) as an extra challenge.
"I wouldn't say it's elevated my game. It's more just adding to what I've got to be a leader … in other teams as well.
"I wouldn't say I've become a better batter or bowler or anything, it's more just developing that leadership side of things."
Short was at the desk helping call the shots for the Strikers on draft day in September when they secured the return of Englishman Jamie Overton and hard-hitting spin-bowling West Indian Fabian Allen for BBL|14.
They also signed England vice-captain Ollie Pope ahead of the draft.
He will miss their opening game in Canberra due to Test duties, but in a huge boost for the Strikers hopes of improving on last season, their overseas trio, along with the competition's all-time leading run-scorer Chris Lynn, are available for all of BBL|14 including finals.
"Painey's been big on improving from last season and trying to keep blokes who are available for the whole tournament," Short said.
"We lost a couple of players to different comps late last season and had a bit of a squad change through finals.
"The focus this year was to maintain those overseas players for the whole tournament, and we've done that with the guys we've got.
"The first challenge is making the finals again and then hopefully with keeping the squad together, we can go a bit further."
Short will face off against another new BBL captain in the Strikers' season opener with David Warner taking the reins of the Thunder after his lifetime leadership ban was lifted in October.
The Thunder have named Wes Agar who could debut for the club against his old side after being traded from the Strikers during the off-season, while Alex Ross returns to Adelaide for BBL|14 and could also play against his former team.
Thunder draft picks Lockie Ferguson and Sherfane Rutherford will make their Big Bash debuts, as will young gun Sam Konstas if selected, while Sam Billings returns to the Western Sydney club after two seasons with Brisbane Heat.
"We have a great mix of youth and experience in the squad, which is invaluable for any cricket team," Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss said.
"Warner's experience, in particular, will be a huge asset for us. He's been excellent around the group so far, and we're excited to see what he can deliver on the field, starting Tuesday night."
KFC BBL|14 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
SIX
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.228 | 0 | 9 |
|
2
THU
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.309 | 0 | 8 |
|
3
HUR
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.154 | 0 | 8 |
|
4
SCO
|
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.785 | 0 | 6 |
|
5
HEA
|
6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.727 | 0 | 5 |
|
6
REN
|
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.413 | 0 | 4 |
|
7
STR
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.299 | 0 | 4 |
|
8
STA
|
7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.531 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
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