Australia may need to adjust their top order for the Champions Trophy semi-finals after Matthew Short sustained a quadriceps injury against Afghanistan, likely sidelining him. Despite scoring 20 runs, Short struggled moving well on the field, raising concerns about his recovery time. Captain Steven Smith indicated that Short’s condition may prevent him from playing. Jake Fraser-McGurk is a potential replacement, although allrounder Aaron Hardie could be considered. Australia’s injury woes continue with several key players missing. The semi-final venue remains uncertain, depending on the outcome of the India-New Zealand match, impacting Australia’s preparations and strategy.
Short injured himself late in Afghanistan’s innings. Despite opening the batting with Travis Head, he struggled to run effectively and primarily focused on hitting boundaries.
“I believe he’s going to have a tough time,” Smith remarked during the post-match presentation. “It was evident tonight that he wasn’t moving well. Given the quick turnaround between games, recovery may be too ambitious for him.”
“We have a number of players ready to step in and fulfill the role,” Smith stated.
Short’s potential absence would eliminate a spin-bowling option from the lineup, as he performed admirably against Afghanistan, conceding just 21 runs in his seven overs. Nevertheless, Australia has several batsmen capable of bowling spin, including Head and Marnus Labuschagne, the latter of whom took two wickets against England but was not utilized on Friday.
Injuries have impacted Australia leading up to the tournament, with Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip), and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all unavailable, while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement.
A complicating factor for the teams qualifying from Group B—where South Africa is favored to join Australia—is the uncertainty of whether the semi-final will be held in Dubai or Lahore until after the India-New Zealand match concludes on Sunday night.
The final positions in Group B will be determined after South Africa faces England on Saturday. While India (Dubai) and New Zealand (Lahore) have secured their respective venues for the semi-finals, their final group standings will dictate their opponents.
If South Africa triumphed over England to finish first in the group, Australia would face the winner of the New Zealand-India match; conversely, if England wins, Australia will meet the game’s loser.
Whichever team ends up in the Dubai semi-final will have just over 24 hours to prepare. Conditions in Dubai, where India hosts all their matches, have been favorable for spinners. Australia also has leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha as an additional frontline option in their squad.
Competing in Lahore would offer more familiar conditions for Australia, as they played two group matches there, including their sole victory while successfully chasing 352 against England. However, there remains a chance they may need to travel to Dubai, especially if the final, hosted in the UAE, features India.