Melbourne [Australia], December 30 (ANI): Ahead of Australia's team selection for the upcoming men's ICC T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka, Australian all-rounder Matthew Short spoke on being more mature as a player than last year and how hard it is to break into the Australian team currently.

Short, a two-time Big Bash League (BBL) 'Player of the Tournament' and Adelaide Strikers skipper, has been in a fine form for his franchise in the ongoing BBL season. So far, he has cracked two half-centuries against Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars and picked up three wickets.

So far in the tournament, he has made 134 runs in three matches at an average of 44.66, with a strike rate of 145.65 and two fifties and picked up three scalps.

Speaking about his chances of breaking into the tournament, Short, who functions as a top-order batter in Aussie colours, said, as quoted by cricket.com.au, 'I am a lot more mature (than 2024), I have played a lot more around the world, a lot more T20 cricket.'

'But it is a bloody good Australian team. It is going to be hard to crack in, but I will have to wait and see,' he added.

The 30-year-old was in the reserves during his side's previous campaign last year, when losses to India and Afghanistan prevented the Aussies, then 2023 50-over World Cup champions, from reaching the semifinals, as they exited in the Super Eight Stage.

Short has represented Australia in 21 T20Is, scoring 382 runs in 19 innings at an average of 22.47 and a strike rate of over 155, with a half-century, having played most of his innings as a 19 innings, a total of 11 as an opener and 15 in the top-order, including four outings at number four. He made it to Australia's ODI and T20I squads in 2023. He also has eight wickets at an average of 17.00, including best figures of 5/22 against England.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Short went to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 15 crores. He previously played for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2023 season, scoring 117 runs in six matches at an average of 19.50, with a strike rate over 127, and a best score of 36.

This year, in 21 T20s, he has made 736 runs at an average of 40.88 and a strike rate of 160, including a century and seven fifties in 20 innings, and has picked up 10 wickets.

In the T20 WC, Australia is in Group B with Sri Lanka, Ireland, Oman and Zimbabwe and will start off against Ireland on February 11 at Colombo. (ANI)