D'Arcy Short played Australian state cricket in 2011 before drifting to the margins of the set-up over the next six years and almost packing it in. His second coming has been far more successful: he enjoyed a breakout 2017-18 season in the white-ball formats, first with Western Australia in the JLT Cup and then, most spectacularly, in the Big Bash with Hobart Hurricanes, where he was the tournament's leading scorer. That earned him an IPL deal and an Australia call-up. He impressed in a T20I tri-series for the national side before struggling in India. He was given chances in ODI cricket in 2018 in England and against South Africa at home but couldn't bed down a spot long term.

One of the key figures in the revival of Short's career was Justin Langer, then coach of Western Australia, who drove him to get fit and then brought him into the WA side for the JLT Cup, where, in the 2018-19 tournament, Short plunder 257 against Queensland. He had another outstanding BBL in 2018-19, again leading the run-scoring for the tournament.

Short's story is significant for more than just the fact that he rejuvenated his career. He is also the first Indigenous Australian batter to represent his country and just the sixth Indigenous cricketer overall after Dan Christian, Jason Gillespie, Scott Boland, Faith Thomas and Ash Gardner.