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Cricket Australia (CA) announced the list of centrally contracted players for the 2024-25 season on April 15, 2024. This season holds significant importance for the team as it includes participation in two major international tournaments: the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the Women’s Ashes.
Central contract system
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, between 15 and 18 female players can receive central contracts each season. Players who do not receive contracts initially can earn upgrades throughout the year by accumulating 12 points based on match appearances. Points are awarded as follows: five points for a Test match and two points for One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
Sophie Molineux returns to contract list
Sophie Molineux is one of the key additions to the central contract list for the upcoming season. After a successful return to the Australian side in recent tours, Molineux earned an upgrade to the 2023-24 contracts in the past month during Australia’s tour of Bangladesh. She had initially secured a central contract in 2018, but an injury in 2022 resulted in her losing the contract.
Molineux made a comeback to the Australian Test team for the one-off Test match against South Africa in February 2024. She was also selected ahead of Jess Jonassen for the Bangladesh tour, where she took 11 wickets.
“We’re really pleased to be able to offer Soph a contract after her successful return to the side this summer. She’s shown a great deal of resilience to get back to full fitness and she’ll play an important role next summer,” said Cricket Australia’s Head of Performance and National Selector Shawn Flegler.
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Key players in the contract list
Apart from Molineux, the contract list includes some regular faces such as Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, and Megan Schutt, among others.
CA contracted women’s players 2024-25
Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jessica Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
