On Wednesday, Cricket Australia added four new players to their list of women's players offered national contracts for the 2023-24 season. Grace Harris, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, and Phoebe Litchfield are the newest additions to the team, joining the 13 players retained from last season.
This increased number of contracts is due to cricket's new Memorandum of Understanding, which added additional national deals to the previous season's 15 contracts. However, one of the 18 spots was declined by a player, resulting in a total of 17 players on the list.
Harris, an all-rounder, earned an upgrade during the 2022 Commonwealth Games and played all six matches for the Australia team, including the final match at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year. Garth and Graham were also part of the victorious Australia squad at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Litchfield secured a playing contract after making an impressive impact with unbeaten half-centuries in her first two ODIs earlier this year against Pakistan. At just 19 years old, she has been named in Australia's squad for the upcoming Women's Ashes Tour of the UK and could be a potential replacement for former vice-captain Haynes in the long term.
The contracts are based on players' performances over the past 12 months, and those selected are believed to represent Australian teams over the year ahead. Players not awarded contracts initially can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 upgrade points.
Shawn Flegler, Cricket Australia's head of performance (women's cricket) and national selector, said that the selection process was challenging due to the talented players available. However, he expressed his confidence in the team's depth and their ability to meet the challenges ahead, particularly the upcoming Ashes Series in England.
Overall, it has been a successful year for the Australian women's team, and the new additions to the national contract list offer the team more strength and versatility for the upcoming season.