Veteran left out as rising stars Voll, Flintoff earn maiden CA deals

Rising Victoria allrounder Tess Flintoff and recent all-format debutant Georgia Voll have been awarded national women's contracts for the 2025-26 season.

Cricket Australia today announced a settled 18-player list that has seen just two additions from the previous year, but there was no room for six-time World Cup winning allrounder Jess Jonassen.

Australia's contracted women's players 2025-26: Darcie Brown, Tess Flintoff, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Voll had earnt an upgrade to a national deal after making her debut across all formats across the 2024-25 summer, but this is her first time making the initial list.

Handed an opportunity to open the batting when Alyssa Healy missed an ODI series against India in December, Voll immediately proved she belonged at the highest level, scoring a century in just her second ODI innings.  

The 21-year-old Queenslander made her T20I and Test debuts during the multi-format Ashes a month later, and recently enjoyed a standout T20I series filling in for Healy in New Zealand, scoring 161 runs in three matches.

Flintoff has yet to debut at the highest level but was called into the Australian squad as injury cover during the 2023 ODI tour of Ireland and has long been earmarked as a player to watch.

The 22-year-old pace-bowling allrounder has been a regular at Australia A level, and in 2022 she hit the fastest ever WBBL half-century off 16 balls for Melbourne Stars.

In a sign of how highly regarded the Victorian is, Flintoff is the first woman to be handed a CA contract without already having made an international debut since Beth Mooney and Grace Harris in 2015-16.

"Tess is an exciting young player who we can see having a long future in the green and gold," Cricket Australia's head of performance and national selector Shawn Flegler said.

"Having overcome injury we're looking forward to seeing her fit and firing throughout summer, which adds further depth to our pace-bowling stocks. 

"Georgia has made a sensational start to her international career, showing her immense talent from the onset and playing a pivotal role for the team in the absence of Alyssa Healy at the top of the order.

"Her ability to adapt to the various formats has been impressive and will come into play with an ODI World Cup later this year and a multi-format series against India in the new year."

Tayla Vlaeminck, who suffered another horror injury setback when she dislocated her shoulder just four balls into her sole appearance at last October's T20 World Cup, has also retained her spot on the contract list as she continues her rehabilitation.

Jonassen, who is Australia's most prolific female white-ball spinner, last played international cricket in October 2023 and was last included in a squad in early 2024 as she fell behind fellow spinners Sophie Molineux, Alana King and Georgia Wareham in the selection pecking order.

The 32-year-old Queenslander played an enormous role in Australia's success since debuting in 2012, taking 244 wickets in 205 matches across all formats.

Jonassen has continued to show her value since losing her spot in the Australian team, starring in overseas franchise competitions while she was joint player of the season in WBBL|10.

"While Jess Jonassen has not been included on this year's list, we're always keeping an eye on players outside of the squad and she is no exception," Flegler said.

Australia recently completed a dominant 2024-25 season that saw them suffer just one loss from 23 completed matches – however that sole blemish, the T20 World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa, will be driving the world's top-ranked team with their attention now firmly on their ODI World Cup defence.

That tournament, to be staged in India in October, will be preceded by three one-dayers also in India.

Australia have no other international cricket on the calendar for the remainder of 2025, but will have a packed start to 2026, with a home multi-format series against India followed by an away all-format tour of the West Indies.

The MOU between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association states between 15 and 18 female players are eligible to be contracted.

Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad of 18 can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 upgrade points. Players receive five points for a Test match, two for a one-day international and two for a T20 international.