Extra responsibility is expected to fall on Ballarat cricket product Matt Short's shoulders as he prepares to enter his fifth Big Bash League campaign with the Adelaide Strikers. The Strikers open their BBL|10 assault against Short's former franchise, the Melbourne Renegades, on Tuesday night and with captain Travis Head and Alex Carey called up to the Australian squad, it's expected Short will form an important part of the batting lineup. The all-rounder enters in mixed form, with a knock of 90 in a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales the highlight among a number of single-figure outings. Short has been in better touch with the ball, claiming seven wickets across the Sheffield Shield and one-day tournament. The 26-year-old has played 37 BBL matches to date, amassing 458 runs at 14.77 and taking three wickets in his limited bowling opportunities. Short signed a new two-year deal with the Strikers earlier this year having become off-contract at the end of the last tournament. The Strikers shape as one of the BBL's biggest unknown quantities, having opted to fill only two of their three foreign import spots, but boast one of the best bowling attacks in Rashid Khan, Wes Agar, Peter Siddle and Daniel Worral. Short's side snuck into the playoffs on net run rate last tournament, before eventually bundling out in the Eliminator to the Brisbane Heat. After Tuesday's match in Melbourne, the Strikers head west to take on the Scorchers on Sunday before enjoying a nine-day break. If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.