3 min readAug 8, 2026 12:52 PM IST
Australia vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner’s estranged wife, Monica Wright, has slammed Cricket Australia (CA) for inaction over the cricketer’s alleged affair with teammate Georgia Voll.
Wright, who first made the allegations public in July, has also demanded that the 29-year-old Gardner be stripped of the leadership role in the national team.
“I think if you’re privileged enough to represent your country and be seen as a role model, there’s a responsibility to hold yourself to a high moral standard,” Wright told Code Sports.
“What I can’t understand is why Cricket Australia hasn’t said anything publicly.
“Does their silence mean they support the actions of Ashleigh and Georgia?
“You can’t have an affair with a junior member of staff, especially when there’s a clear power imbalance, and then remain in a position of leadership.
“Captains are expected to set the standard, and that kind of conduct falls well short of it,” Wright added.
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In a response to Wright’s comments on Code Sports, Cricket Australia (CA) stated that the board considered the incident to be “private and personal.”
“Cricket Australia ensures all relationships within our workforce comply with our Respect at Work policy. This includes putting appropriate conflict-of-interest management arrangements in place to support leadership responsibilities and maintain the integrity of team processes,” CA said in its statement.
In July, Wright posted a Daily Mail article on her Instagram story with the caption that it was ‘too vague’ and said she’ll say ‘exactly what happened. In the next slide, she posted the photo of Voll with the caption: “This is who my wife cheated on me with.”
Wright and Gardner had tied the knot in April 2025 but things started deteriorating when the cricketer was in India for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, according to the Daily Mail report. When Wright had flown in to India to see Gardner, there was a bit of awkwardness, an insider stated according to the report.
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They have since seperated with Gardner moving out of their Sydney house while beginning divore proceedings.
Sydney Sixers backs Gardner
According to news.com.au, Gardner has also received firm backing from her WBBL franchise, Sydney Sixers, amid the scandal.
“I’m not going to comment on (Ash’s) personal life, or anything like that. But certainly we’ve exchanged messages,” Sixers GM and former Australia player Rachael Haynes said.
“I’ve checked in with her. She knows that we’re here to support her.
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“She’s a well-respected player within our program, an important player for us, so I think the most important thing is knowing that we’re there for her, we care about her and look forward to continuing with the club ongoing.”
Gardner was recently in the triumphant Australia team which extended the country’s staggering T20 World Cup record, winning seven titles from eight finals.
