Australia’s batting all-rounder Matthew Short made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2023 edition. Short wasn’t picked in the auction but roped in as an injured Jonny Bairstow’s replacement. In his debut season, he could not prove his mettle and the franchises did not show any interest in him in the mega auction as well. For the mini-auction, Short has registered himself at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore and hopes to get picked by one of the franchises.
Short admitted that he was overwhelmed by the stature of the league. He could not deal with the pressure then but feels he is ready to perform if he finds a franchise to play for.
"I was probably rushed into it a little bit," he told ESPNCricinfo. "That was my first-ever overseas tournament, so straight into the IPL was a pretty big deal… The whole whirlwind of the IPL that first time was just like, 'Jeez, this is crazy overwhelming' and I probably didn't deal with the pressure as well as I would have liked… I sort of went away from my game.
"Having three or four good seasons under my belt now in the Big Bash, and playing in different comps around the world, it definitely gives you the confidence or even just the general experience of handling pressure and playing in different conditions, so I'd be a lot more ready for it now if selected."
How Short worked on mental aspect of the game
Short revealed that he has worked on the psychological side of the game after his underwhelming IPL stint. David Reid has helped him stay in the moment and put aside all the distractions. He will be watching the auction but is mentally prepared on how to deal with the snub.
"He (Reid) works at Chennai [Super Kings] - or wherever Flem [Stephen Fleming is], so in MLC as well - but he actually coached me back at Northcote in Premier Cricket back in Melbourne, so I've known him for a long while,” the 30-year-old said.
"I think my game is there physically - it feels really comfortable at the moment - but we're working on making the right decisions for longer, which means putting away all the bad thoughts and distractions that come into your mind and making sure you're just focused on the moment, and reacting to the ball that's coming down. A lot of work has gone into that.
"If I don't get picked up, there's always other opportunities. Me and my wife always just say, 'Let the universe decide.' If one thing happens, we'll find something else if it doesn't. I'll give it [the auction] a watch and just see what happens."
Matt Short’s IPL numbers
In his debut IPL season, he scored 117 runs from six innings for PBKS. He averaged 19.50 and scored at a strike rate of 127.17.