The Australian women’s cricket team was rocked by a massive controversy just a week after their T20 World Cup triumph, after Ashleigh Gardner‘s estranged wife, Monica Wright, publicly accused her of having an affair with teammate Georgia Voll. The allegations came to light following a report by the Daily Mail, which claimed that Gardner’s marriage had broken down after she cheated on her wife with a fellow cricketer. The report did not identify the individual, but Wright took to social media to make a direct accusation. She wrote that the report by the Daily Mail was “too vague” before posting a picture of Voll on an Instagram story with the caption, “This is who my wife cheated on me with.”
The report claimed that Gardner and Wright’s marriage started having issues during the Women’s ODI World Cup earlier this year, where teammates allegedly noticed that Gardner “didn’t seem like herself.
Wright reportedly travelled to India midway through the competition, and things got worse when the Australian squad returned home after the tournament. According to the report, Gardner told Wright that “something had changed in their relationship,” and their marriage ended a few months after.
The couple reportedly had plans to start a family before their separation, but the Daily Mail claimed that Gardner moved out of their Sydney home in November and left behind their wedding rings in a cupboard.
The report went on to claim that the separation has become a major talking point within the Australian dressing room, and some of Gardner’s teammates are still in touch with Wright. The publication even reached out to Cricket Australia senior communications chief Richard Hinds, but the governing body declined to comment.
Gardner is currently one of the senior players in the Australian squad, and she was appointed co-vice-captain along with Tahlia McGrath. She was also named the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year.