Kirby Short named Victoria head of female cricket

Former Brisbane Heat WBBL title-winning captain Kirby Short has been appointed as Cricket Victoria's new head of female cricket.

Short, 38, captained heat to back-to-back WBBL titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and played 67 matches in the WBBL as a spinning allrounder. She also captained Queensland Fire in a lengthy WNCL career. She takes over as Victoria's new head of female cricket under general manager of high performance Graham Manou after Sharelle McMahon resigned from the job last year to return to netball in a high performance role.

Short retired as a player in 2020 but has remained in the sport as a director with Queensland Cricket and a commentator with Fox Sports and Channel Seven. Despite being a Queenslander, Short said she is excited to join Victoria where she has a family connection.

"My grandfather, Mick Harvey grew up in Fitzroy and was a proud Victorian, so it seems very fitting that I have the privilege of contributing to the advancement of women's cricket in this state," Short said. "Victoria has a rich history in the sport, and I'm eager to take on this new challenge in Melbourne, working with the talented players and dedicated staff to build on that legacy."

Manou was pleased to get a person with such a strong leadership record into the role to oversee the women's programs within the state.

"We're pleased to welcome Kirby to Cricket Victoria for what is a critical role in our cricket performance program," Manou said. "Kirby's leadership qualities, combined with her extensive experience in elite cricket, will be invaluable as we continue to invest in and elevate women's cricket in our state."