Brisbane Heat skipper Jess Jonassen has her sights set on returning to the international stage as the countdown begins for next year’s T20 World Cup in England. Despite recent setbacks with national selection, the veteran allrounder remains one of Australia’s most consistent and driven performers in domestic cricket.
At 32, Jonassen continues to dominate the Women’s Big Bash League and is on the verge of a historic milestone becoming the first player ever to claim 200 WBBL wickets. With 179 wickets already to her name, her bowling record speaks volumes. The left-arm spinner maintains an impressive average of 19.17 and an economy rate of 6.59 runs per over, often delivering under pressure in the final overs of an innings.
While Jonassen’s domestic form has been first rate, her exclusion from the Australian setup has been a tough pill to swallow. Left out of both the 2024 T20 World Cup in the UAE and the recent ODI World Cup in India, she admits those omissions hurt after being part of six consecutive T20 World Cup squads since 2012.
However, instead of letting disappointment linger, Jonassen used it as motivation. Last season, she shared the WBBL Player of the Tournament award with Sydney Sixers legend Ellyse Perry. “That was one of the hardest things. I lost my Australian contract the same year I won Player of the Tournament,” Jonassen told AAP. She felt strange because she knew she was still contributing to every team she played for.
Jonassen recognises the competition for spin spots in the national team, with Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Georgia Wareham, and Ashleigh Gardner all in contention. Yet she still holds the record as Australia’s highest wicket taking T20I spinner with 96 dismissals.
“I still believe I can perform at that level, but those decisions aren’t mine to make. If an opportunity comes, great — but I am not the one that makes those decisions unfortunately. I am here to perform for the teams that want me and I am part of.”
As captain of the Heat, Jonassen is fully focused on the season ahead. She has been instrumental in guiding her side to back-to-back WBBL finals and hopes to go one better this time. The Heat open their WBBL 11 campaign on November 9 against defending champions Melbourne Renegades at Allan Border Field.
“This is nowhere near the last season, I will keep playing as long as my performances, my mind and body allow me. hold up, I’ll keep going,” Jonasson added.
Despite losing her Australian contract, Jonassen says the stability of playing regularly for the Brisbane Heat and Queensland Fire has reignited her passion. It was challenging at first, but the environment has helped her fall back in love with cricket.
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