Aussies add four to contract list, Carey turns down deal

Phoebe Litchfield, Grace Harris, Kim Garth and Heather Graham have been added to Cricket Australia’s women’s contract list, with the quartet becoming the beneficiaries of the additional national deals made available under cricket’s new Memorandum of Understanding.

The total number of CA women’s contracts available rose from 15 to 18 under the new MOU, with 17 players included on the 2023-24 list revealed on Wednesday.

Tasmanian allrounder Nicola Carey was offered the 18th contract but declined, while retired former vice-captain Rachael Haynes is the other absentee from last season’s list.

The other 13 players who held CA contracts in 2022-23 have retained their positions.

Cricket Australia women's contract list, 2023-24: Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Harris earned a contract upgrade during 2022 after becoming a key member of Australia’s T20I middle-order following her return to the international stage during the multi-format Ashes in January 2022.

Former Irish allrounder Garth, teenage batter Litchfield and Tasmania allrounder Graham have earned CA contracts for the first time.

"Grace Harris earned an upgrade last season and subsequently played every match throughout the T20 World Cup, she is a multi-skilled cricketer who can influence matches with both bat and ball," CA head of performance and national selector Shawn Flegler said.

"Kim Garth and Heather Graham have performed strongly at domestic level over the past 12 months, and both thoroughly deserve their spot on the list.

"Phoebe Litchfield is a young talent who we believe has a big future, she’s built her game upon a very sound technique and we’re confident she can transfer those skills into international cricket.

"Despite missing a large amount of cricket, Tayla Vlaeminck retains her contract which enables us to continue to support her on her return to play following a significant foot injury."

Carey, who had been on the CA contract list since 2018, declined the contract offer having already turned down a chance to tour the United Kingdom with the Australia A side in June.

The allrounder had been a staple in Australian squads since her 2018 debut, but featured in just one T20I on December’s tour of India before carrying the drinks throughout January’s ODIs against Pakistan, and was subsequently left out of the T20 World Cup squad.

"We’re about to embark on a busy 12-month period, beginning with several training camps next month at the National Cricket Centre ahead of a Tour of the UK for Australia and Australia A squads," Flegler said.

"With that in mind, Nicola Carey expressed a desire to spend the winter in Tasmania to allow her to utilise a full preseason at home, focusing on using that time to develop skills in her game to push for international selection in the future.

"We offered Nic a contract because we believe she is a player of international quality, but we respect her decision to focus on a pre-season program with Tasmania and will continue to support her moving forward."

Players can be upgraded to a central contract by being selected in the national side during the year, as Harris was in 2022-23. Players are upgraded when they accrue 12 points, with women’s players earning five points for a Test match and two each for an ODI and T20.

Women’s cricket was a big winner in the new MOU announced on Monday, with players to be paid from a $133 million pool over the next five years, a massive jump from the $80m currently available.

The top CA-contracted women's earnings will peak at more than $800,000 per year by the end of the MOU (including their WBBL contract, match fees and marketing payments), with the potential for earnings to top the million-dollar mark if they also play in the Women's Premier League and UK's Hundred.

Under the new MOU, each state (and the ACT) will also have two additional contract spots to offer, up to 16 from the current 14.

Cricket Australia women's contract list, 2023-24: Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham