Australian women's cricket has been drawn into controversy after star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner's wife, Monica Wright, publicly accused her of having an affair with fellow Australia cricketer Georgia Voll.
The allegations emerged shortly after the Daily Mail reported that Gardner's marriage had broken down amid claims she had been unfaithful with another Australian player. Although the report did not identify the alleged individual, Wright appeared to do so herself through a series of Instagram posts.
In one of the posts, Wright shared a photograph of Voll and wrote that the Daily Mail report had been "too vague" before naming the Australian batter as the person allegedly involved in the breakdown of her marriage with Gardner.
INSTAGRAM POSTS FUEL CONTROVERSY
Wright's social media posts quickly circulated within Australian cricket circles, transforming what had initially been an unnamed allegation into a public controversy involving two current Australian internationals.
According to the Daily Mail, Gardner and Wright's relationship began to deteriorate during Australia's Women's ODI World Cup campaign in India earlier this year. Citing an unnamed team source, the report claimed Wright travelled to India during the tournament, where teammates noticed Gardner "did not seem like herself."
The report further alleged that after returning to Sydney following the World Cup, Gardner told Wright that her feelings about their relationship had changed, leading to the end of their marriage. The couple had reportedly been discussing plans to start a family before separating.
According to the publication, Gardner moved out of the couple's Sydney home in November, leaving behind only their wedding rings.
The report also claimed that the separation has become a topic of discussion within the Australian dressing room, with several teammates reportedly remaining in contact with Wright following the split.
Cricket Australia has declined to comment on the matter. According to the Daily Mail, the board's senior communications chief, Richard Hinds, responded with a "no comment" when approached. Gardner was also contacted by the publication but had not publicly responded to either the report or Wright's allegations at the time of writing.
Gardner, 29, is one of Australia's senior players and was appointed co-vice-captain of the national side alongside Tahlia McGrath earlier this year. She was also named the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year. Neither Gardner nor Voll has publicly addressed Wright's Instagram posts.
COUPLE WERE TOGETHER DURING ODI WORLD CUP
Gardner and Wright had appeared together publicly as recently as the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup in India, where Wright travelled to support Gardner throughout the tournament.
During the event, the couple attracted attention after Australian players were provided police escorts following a harassment incident involving members of the squad in Indore. Two Australian players were allegedly stalked, while another was reportedly molested by a man on a motorcycle while travelling from the team hotel to a café. The accused was later arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police.
Following the incident, security arrangements for the Australian team were significantly enhanced, particularly after the squad moved to Navi Mumbai for the knockout stage. Additional police personnel were deployed around the team hotel, and security escorts accompanied the players whenever they travelled outside.
Gardner and Wright also shared a photograph of their police escort on social media during the tournament, highlighting the heightened security surrounding the Australian camp. According to the Daily Mail, it was during that same World Cup that the couple's relationship allegedly began to break down before eventually ending later in the year.
