Champions Trophy: Australia’s Matthew Short Injured Ahead Of Semi-Finals

March 1, 2025: Australia’s journey to the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been hit with an unexpected setback as opener Matthew Short sustained a calf injury on Friday, as reported by the ICC.

The injury occurred while Short was fielding and appeared to have affected his movement. Despite the injury, Short managed to contribute a quickfire 20 runs at the top of Australia’s batting order before the match against Afghanistan in Lahore was abandoned due to rain.

The no-result outcome from the match was sufficient for Australia to secure their spot in the semi-finals, with their opponents still to be decided after the final two group-stage games. Australia will either face India or New Zealand in the knockout stages, with the semi-final venue set for Dubai should they draw India as their opponent.

However, the injury to Short now raises concerns about his availability for the semi-final. Australia’s captain, Steve Smith, expressed doubts about Short’s fitness, suggesting that it may be too quick a turnaround for the opener to recover in time for the crucial match. “I think he’ll be struggling. I think we saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well, and it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover,” said Smith.

In the event that Short is unable to play, the most likely replacement could be the relatively inexperienced Jake Fraser-McGurk, who could come in to fill the opening role. Alternatively, Smith himself may move up the order to partner with Travis Head, allowing the team to bring in an extra bowling option.

Australia also has a few all-rounders like Sean Abbott and Aaron Hardie in their squad, and spinner Tanveer Sangha could be another option to bolster the side for the semi-finals. Despite the setback, Smith remains optimistic about the team’s depth, saying, “We’ve got a few guys there to come in to fill a job and we are looking forward to that.”

Australia’s squad for the Champions Trophy includes: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, and Adam Zampa.