Cricket Australia has announced that it will maintain its support for Ashleigh Gardner in her role as the women's team vice-captain. However, the organization has updated its internal Respect at Work policy to incorporate specific safeguards regarding her involvement in selection discussions, following the public disclosure of her relationship with teammate Georgia Voll.
Chief executive Todd Greenberg confirmed that the board addressed Gardner's position during a meeting held on Wednesday. He emphasized that the board maintains high regard for Gardner and remains fully supportive of her leadership appointment. The policy update is intended to manage both real and perceived conflicts of interest, ensuring that the integrity of the team's selection process remains transparent.
Greenberg explained that while the vice-captain does not hold a formal vote in team selection, the organization wanted to implement guard rails to address the influence such a leadership position carries. Under the new measures, Gardner will be required to recuse herself from any discussions involving the selection of Voll for the squad or the starting XI, including relevant conversations with team captain Sophie Molineux and other selectors.
The organization was aware of the relationship prior to it becoming public. The situation gained further attention following criticism from Gardner's wife, Monica Wright, regarding the initial silence from Cricket Australia. On Thursday, Gardner issued a statement via Instagram acknowledging that her relationship status required an official response from the board due to her leadership responsibilities. She expressed gratitude for the board's support and stated her commitment to her role, while also apologizing for any pain caused and requesting that the privacy of those involved be respected. Greenberg noted that the organization is navigating complex territory as high-performance sports environments continue to evolve, and the updated policies are intended to reflect these current realities.
Because we want to make sure that either the perception or the real conflict of selections – even though the vice-captain doesn't have a say in selections in the team – the leadership role and the influence that person might have to put guard rails in about how the policy works.
“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.
