New Delhi, October 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Brisbane Heat have suffered a major setback ahead of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 12, with former captain Jess Jonassen ruled out of the upcoming season due to a hip complaint, the franchise confirmed on Monday.
The injury marks another disrupted season for the Australian spinner, who missed four matches in the previous edition because of a shoulder injury.
Jonassen is targeting a return to action around the New Year but admitted she was “bitterly disappointed” to miss the tournament, which begins on Thursday.
“Last year I was managing a shoulder injury and tried to play through until it got too much for me and was having an effect on both my own and the team’s performances, as well as my mental health,” Jonassen said in a club statement.
“We considered whether playing through injury was available again, but the advice was to have this period of recovery now, so I can be available for the rest of the season.”
“The plan is to be back training in December and be ready to play again in our next WNCL fixture,” she added.
Heat coach Mark Sorell acknowledged that Jonassen’s absence would be a significant loss but said the team would continue to draw on her experience during her recovery.
“We’re obviously pretty devastated for JJ,” Sorell said.
“She has a good attitude to these sorts of things, and naturally we’ll wrap our arms around her this week as we get ready to play.”
“We’ll lean into her experience around the group while she recovers, and it will be a good chance for us to work with her around our match day planning,” he added.
Brisbane Heat are negotiating with an international player to find a replacement for Jonassen. The franchise said an announcement is expected before its tournament opener against Sydney Sixers on Friday.
Jonassen holds the distinction of being the most-capped player in WBBL history. She is also the leading wicket-taker across men’s and women’s competitions.
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