Adelaide Strikers name Matt Short as new captain

Adelaide Strikers’ have named the 2022 Player of the Big Bash League, Matthew Short as their captain ahead of the upcoming season. The all-rounder replaces another swashbuckling batter, Travis Head, as the captain.

With Head being a regular feature of the Australian setup across formats, Short takes over coming on the back of a staggering debut season, with 458 runs and 11 wickets. Short eventually went on to debut for the Kangaroos across the white-ball formats. 

"Matt was a standout choice to take on the captaincy at the Adelaide Strikers and we are thrilled to announce him as our sixth captain," Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie said. "When he stepped up last year we were very impressed with his leadership and we are looking forward to seeing him grow further into the role.”

Given that next year’s T20 World Cup is in the Caribbean and the United States of America, there is a strong chance that Short could be fighting for a place despite the competition at the top of the order. 

Short added: "I really enjoyed the little taste of captaincy I got last season and I'm excited to put my full attention to it in BBL13."

Strikers will be without their veterans Head and Alex Carey, who are integral parts of the red-ball setups. However, there is a small possibility that the duo could feature later on in the season when there is a break between the Test series. 

Matt Short’s team open their campaign on Saturday (December 9) against Brisbane Heat.