Australia face Short blow ahead of semis
Australia is likely to make changes to its top order for the Champions Trophy semi-final after Matthew Short sustained a quad injury against Afghanistan, which is expected to rule him out.
Short suffered the injury late in Afghanistan's innings. Although he opened the batting alongside Travis Head, he struggled between the wickets and was largely limited to boundary-hitting.
He managed to score 20 off 15 balls, contributing to a useful opening stand of 44 in 4.3 overs, before being caught at mid-on. However, captain Steven Smith acknowledged that time was not on Short's side.
"I think he'll be struggling," Smith said at the post-match presentation. "I think we saw tonight he wasn't moving very well. I think it's probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover."
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who replaced the injured Mitchell Marsh in the squad, is the available backup and a like-for-like swap for Short at the top of the order.
However, Australia could explore other options, including all-rounder Aaron Hardie, if they opt to shuffle the batting lineup.
"We've got a few guys there to come in and we'll be able to fill a job," he said.
Left-handed batter and left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly, a travelling reserve, could be added to the squad if Short is officially ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
Short's absence would also remove a valuable spin-bowling option. He delivered an economical spell against Afghanistan, conceding just 21 runs in seven overs.
However, Australia has additional part-time spin options in Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who took two wickets against England but was not used against Afghanistan.
Australia has dealt with multiple injuries leading into the tournament. Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip), and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all missed matches, while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement.
A complicating factor for Group B qualifierswhere South Africa is favored to join Australiais that they will not know their semi-final venue (Dubai or Lahore) until after the India-New Zealand game on Sunday night.
Group B standings will be finalised after South Africa faces England on Saturday. India and New Zealand have predetermined semi-final venues (India in Dubai and New Zealand in Lahore), but their final group positions will determine their opponents.
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