Australia face another injury setback ahead of Champions Trophy semi-final

Australia is set to make changes to its top order for the Champions Trophy semi-final after opener Matthew Short sustained a quad injury during their match against Afghanistan, which is likely to rule him out of the upcoming match.

Short suffered the injury late in Afghanistan's innings. Although he opened the batting alongside Travis Head, Short struggled to move freely between the wickets and relied heavily on boundary-hitting. He managed to score 20 off 15 balls, contributing to a useful opening stand of 44 runs in 4.3 overs, before being caught at mid-on.

Australia's captain, Steven Smith, expressed concern about Short's recovery time, acknowledging the likelihood that Short would not be fit for the semi-final. 

"I think he'll be struggling," Smith said after the match. 

"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," he added. 

With Short's injury, Jake Fraser-McGurk, who replaced the injured Mitchell Marsh in the squad, is the immediate backup and could come in as a like-for-like replacement at the top of the order. However, Australia may explore other options, including all-rounder Aaron Hardie, if they decide to shuffle the batting lineup.

"We've got a few guys there to come in and we'll be able to fill a job," Smith added.

If Short is officially ruled out for the remainder of the tournament, Australia may also call up left-handed batter and left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly, who is currently a travelling reserve.

Short’s absence would not only impact the batting but also remove a valuable spin-bowling option. He had been effective with the ball against Afghanistan, giving away just 21 runs in seven overs. However, Australia has additional part-time spin options in Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, the latter of whom took two wickets against England but was unused against Afghanistan.

Australia has been dealing with multiple injury concerns heading into the tournament, with key players like Mitchell Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip), and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all missing matches. Marcus Stoinis also recently announced his retirement from international cricket.

The semi-final venue for Group B qualifiers remains uncertain, with South Africa expected to join Australia in the semi-finals. However, the final venue will only be confirmed after the India-New Zealand match on Sunday night. South Africa will face England on Saturday to finalize the Group B standings.

India and New Zealand already know their semi-final venues, with India set to play in Dubai and New Zealand in Lahore. The final group positions of these teams will determine their semi-final opponents. If South Africa defeats England and tops the group, Australia will face the winner of the India-New Zealand match. If England wins, Australia may face the loser of that match.

The team that plays in Dubai will have less than 24 hours to prepare, and conditions in Dubai have typically favored spin bowling. Australia has extra spin options in Tanveer Sangha, who could play a key role. Lahore, where Australia has already played two group matches, offers more familiar conditions. However, if India qualifies for the final, it will be hosted in Dubai; otherwise, the final will take place in Lahore.