Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that Ashleigh Gardner will retain her role as the women’s team vice-captain. However, the governing body has introduced new procedural safeguards regarding her involvement in selection processes following the public disclosure of her relationship with teammate Georgia Voll.
CA chief executive Todd Greenberg stated that the board reviewed Gardner’s position during a meeting on Wednesday. He emphasized that the board remains “very supportive” of her leadership role and holds her in high regard. To address the situation, CA has updated its “Respect at Work” policy, implementing additional measures to manage potential or perceived conflicts of interest within the high-performance environment.
Greenberg explained that while the vice-captain does not hold a formal vote in squad selection, the new “guard rails” are designed to mitigate any influence associated with a leadership position. He confirmed that Gardner will be required to recuse herself from any discussions regarding Voll’s place in the squad or the playing XI, including consultations with selectors and captain Sophie Molineux. Greenberg noted that these steps are necessary to address concerns from teammates, staff, or the public, even in the absence of an actual conflict.
The chief executive acknowledged that the organization is navigating complex territory, stating, “We’re in some difficult territory here because, like all sports, we’re all learning a little bit about how these high-performance environments can operate.” He added that the goal is to ensure policies evolve alongside the realities of the professional game.
CA was aware of the relationship between Gardner and Voll before it became public knowledge. The situation drew criticism from Gardner’s wife, Monica Wright, who faulted the organization for its initial silence regarding the vice-captain’s position following the breakdown of their marriage.
Addressing the matter on Instagram this Thursday, Gardner stated that she understood why her relationship status required intervention from CA given her leadership responsibilities. “I am grateful that the CA Board has chosen to support my continued leadership,” she wrote, adding that she aims to focus on her role and supporting her teammates in the upcoming season. Gardner expressed regret for the pain caused by her separation from Wright and requested that the privacy of all parties involved be respected, noting she would not provide further public commentary.
“It was discussed yesterday at the board level,” Greenberg said.
Outside of that, we’ve deemed it a personal matter.”
So we want to be making sure that our policies are keeping up with the realities, and I think that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
“The board asked for an update on it, which we provided, and the outcome of that is the board are very supportive of Ash in the role as she was appointed to the vice-captaincy, [there’s] huge and high regard for Ash.
Even if there’s not a conflict, even if there’s a perceived level of conflict, not just from the outside, but from other team-mates or from staff.
I look forward to playing a strong role as a leader and providing the best possible support for my teammates in the season to come.
I wish her nothing but happiness and success in the future.
