Australian cricket rocked by cheating scandal days after T20 Women's World Cup win

Australian women's cricket has been thrust into an uncomfortable 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 surfaced just hours after the Daily Mail reported that Gardner's marriage had broken down amid claims that she had cheated on her wife with another player. While the initial report did not identify the alleged cricketer, Wright appeared to confirm the identity herself through a series of Instagram posts.

Sharing a photograph of Voll on her Instagram story, Wright wrote that the Daily Mail report had been "too vague" before identifying the Australian batter as the player allegedly involved in Gardner's marriage breakdown.

INSTA STORY SPREADS LIKE WILDFIRE

The social media posts quickly spread across Australian cricket circles, turning what had initially remained an unnamed allegation into a public controversy involving two current Australian internationals.

According to the Daily Mail, Gardner and Wright's marriage began to unravel during Australia'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 that Gardner "did not seem like herself."

The report alleged that after returning to Sydney following the World Cup, Gardner told Wright that something had changed in their relationship, with the conversation ultimately ending their marriage. The couple had reportedly been discussing plans to start a family before the separation.

Gardner is understood to have moved out of the couple's Sydney home in November, leaving behind only their wedding rings, according to the Daily Mail's source.

The publication further reported that the separation has become a major talking point within the Australian dressing room, with several teammates said to have remained in touch with Wright after 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 for clarification. 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 the national team's co-vice-captain 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.

DUO WERE TOGETHER DURING ODI WORLD CUP

Gardner and Wright had publicly appeared together as recently as the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup in India, where Wright travelled to support the Australia all-rounder during the tournament.

The couple made headlines after Australian players were provided police escorts following a harassment incident involving two members of the squad in Indore. Two Australian players were allegedly stalked, while one was reportedly molested by a motorcycle-borne man while travelling from the team hotel to a cafe. The accused was later arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police.

Following the incident, security arrangements for the Australian team were significantly strengthened, particularly after the squad moved to Navi Mumbai for the knockout stage of the tournament. Police deployed additional personnel around the team hotel and ensured escorts accompanied the players whenever they travelled outside.

Gardner and Wright had shared a photograph of their police escort on social media during the tournament, offering a glimpse into the heightened security around the Australian camp. According to the Daily Mail's report, it was during that same World Cup that the couple's relationship allegedly began to unravel before eventually ending later in the year.

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