Public and media accusations have surfaced regarding Ashleigh Gardner’s alleged relationship with her teammate, Georgia Voll. Following these claims, Monica Wright has also started making allegations and questioning Cricket Australia, asking the board to take action.
However, the major question now is whether the board will take any action on this matter and whether Cricket Australia’s or ICC’s rules allow such intervention.
Ashleigh Gardner Controversy: What Do Cricket Australia and ICC Rules Say?
Gardner and Voll are reportedly involved in a relationship, following which Wright made cheating allegations and requested that Cricket Australia remove Gardner from the vice-captaincy role.
Wright said, “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.”
However, the bigger question is not just whether the board will take away her vice-captaincy, but what ICC and Cricket Australia regulations say regarding such matters.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has no specific rules on this matter, nor has it issued any statement.
Regarding Cricket Australia, the board is treating the dispute involving Australian all-rounder Voll and Wright as a personal matter.
Although the board acknowledges that workplace relationships are not inherently wrong, they should be managed in accordance with the Respect at Work Policy.
According to The Indian Express reports, the board said, “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.”
How right or wrong Wright’s allegations are, whether Gardner’s reported relationship with Voll is acceptable, and whether her vice-captaincy should be affected remain matters of personal concern.
Neither ICC nor Cricket Australia has any specific rule that allows action to be taken in such a situation. Ultimately, public opinion will decide how people view this controversy and who they believe is right or wrong.