Six-time World Cup winning spinner Jess Jonassen overlooked for CA contract as Georgia Voll earns an upgrade

A six-time World Cup winner who for a long time was the world’s No.1 T20 bowler couldn’t make her way onto Cricket Australia’s contract list.

Boom young batter Georgia Voll has earned her first Cricket Australia contract on the back of a brilliant batch of international innings including a century in just her second ODI.

But six-time World Cup winning spinner Jess Jonassen was a surprise omission from the 18 players handed deals, a list which does include injury-prone fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck.

Jonassen, Australia’s most prolific female white-ball spinner and the one-time No.1 bowler in the world, hasn’t played for Australia since October 2023 as the likes of leg spinners Alana King and Georgia Wareham emerged as the leading slow bowlers.

But the 32-year-old left-armer was bowling well enough to be named joint player of the tournament in the WBBL last summer.

Jess Jonassen (C) has missed out on a CA contract. (Photo by Marco Longari / AFP)

Cricket Australia’s head of performance and national selector Shawn Flegler said the 32-year-old, who has taken taking 244 wickets in 205 matches across all formats since her 2012 debut, was not done as an international player but “down the pecking order” of strong spin options.

“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.

“She hasn’t been in the team for over 12 months now and the team that has played ahead of her, the spinners in particular Ash Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Alana King and Sophie Molineux when she’s been fit, have performed really well and taken their chance.

“We certainly acknowledge Jess has done really well when she’s gone back and played domestic cricket, certainly not saying she’s not a good player, she’s been a very good player for a long time and we expect her to go back and do well in domestic cricket.

“The players ahead of her are doing well and performing, unless that changes in the future, that’s where it stands for Jess at the moment.

“If there’s an opportunity that comes up and Jess is performing and fit at the time then we will certainly discuss that but right now she is down the pecking order compared to who’s in the team at the moment.”

Tess Flintoff has become the first woman to be handed a CA contract without already having made an international debut in nearly a decade and joins Voll as players of the future.

“Tess is an exciting young player who we can see having a long future in the green and gold,” 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 Voll (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“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.”

Voll, 21 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 having thrived after being handed an opportunity to open the batting when skipper Alyssa Healy was injured.

Fast bowler Vlaeminck has managed just 29 games for Australia since her international debut in 2018 amid a slate of injuries and is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury.

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

Originally published as Six-time World Cup winning spinner Jess Jonassen overlooked for CA contract as Georgia Voll earns an upgrade