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Australia's selectors looked beyond the numbers in handing allrounder Tess Flintoff her first central contract as they aim to "future proof" the national side, conceding that her returns alone could raise questions about the decision.
The uncapped Flintoff was the most notable inclusion on the 18-player list, becoming the first player to be added to the women's contracts list without having made her debut since Beth Mooney and Grace Harris in 2015-16.
It also comes after a season where her bowling returns across both the WBBL for Melbourne Stars (three wickets in nine matches) and WNCL for Victoria (eight wickets at 59.25) have been underwhelming although she finished the season strongly with five wickets for Australia A in the four-day game against England A.