Impressive Adelaide Strikers all-rounder Matthew Short has pledged his future to the South Australian BBL franchise, signing a bumper three-year contract extension to remain in blue.
Last season, Short became the first Striker to win the competition's Player of the Tournament award, exhibiting his wide array of talent, complementing his 458 runs (which led all run-scorers) with 11 wickets taken.
After the conclusion of BBL 12, Short's astounding form earned him a lucrative contract with the IPL's Punjab Kings, with whom Short played six matches.
In an official statement, Short expressed his immense joy at re-signing in Adelaide.
"It feels great to have re-signed, obviously I've loved my time here in Adelaide," Short began.
"I've been here for five years now and [my performances have] been really up and down – with some poor years and then some better ones when I was given the opportunity at the top of the order.
"The Strikers showed the faith in me and gave me the opportunities and I am trying to pay them back with my loyalty.
"Also, I'd like to mention another big reason to sign again at Adelaide is because my beautiful partner Madi lives here, and spending more time with her over the coming summer is very important to me."
Short also noted the Strikers' positive trajectory and loyal fanbase as key factors in sticking around for an additional three years.
"I've seen some good progression, especially with our younger players, and I think we've got a good mix of old and young, and hopefully we can continue on what we started last season and push into the finals," he said.
"The boys love getting out on Adelaide Oval in front of the home crowd, especially the New Year's Eve game.
"It is one of the best grounds to play at in the world, it's an exciting place to play cricket and I just love how our fans get around us."
Short's sentiment was echoed by SACA's General Manager of Cricket Tim Nielsen, who was thrilled to see Short return.
"Matt is an integral part of our side and to have locked him in for the next three seasons is massive for us at the Strikers," Nielsen said.
"He impacts with both his batting, bowling and fielding and we are excited to see him build on his Player of the Tournament season in BBL 13."
BBL 13 will differ slightly from BBL 12 in that there will be a reduction in the number of games each side plays, with 10 matches per team instead of the previous 14.
BBL 13 is slated to commence at the tail end of this year.