Cricket Australia confirmed Ash Gardner will remain the vice-captain of the national women’s team on 13 August 2016. The decision follows a board meeting where officials discussed Gardner’s personal relationship with teammate Georgia Voll.
While supporting Gardner’s leadership, the organization is introducing new “guardrails” to its Respect at Work policy to prevent any conflict of interest. Consequently, Gardner will have to stay away from any selection discussions to ensure fairness within the squad.
Cricket Australia CEO Supports Gardner’s Leadership Role
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has publicly backed the star all-rounder. He said that the board has high regard for Gardner as a leader. The board therefore decided not to strip her of the vice-captaincy, considering the recent headlines concerning her personal life. “Gardner is vice-captain for a reason and he’s still a very important part of our team’s future,” Greenberg said.
However, the organization did acknowledge that a formal response was required in response to the situation. The board met on Wednesday to discuss the issue and provide an update on how to manage relationships in the high-performance environment. Specifically, the perception of unfairness when a leader is in a relationship with a teammate was something they wanted to address. So, the board reaffirmed their support of her and simultaneously updated their internal rules.
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New Selection Guardrails and Policy Updates
Cricket Australia is also updating its Respect at Work policy so it is transparent. The new rules are intended to address situations where a personal relationship might influence the decisions of a team. Vice-captains are generally involved in leadership meetings but Gardner won’t be involved in the talks surrounding Georgia Voll’s role in the team.
Gardner should not be part of any discussions with selectors, coach or captain Sophie Molineux about Voll. “It is important to eliminate any perceived or real conflict of interest,” Greenberg said. And the CEO admitted that sports organizations are still learning how to manage these high-performance environments effectively. With these guardrails in place, the organization hopes to help protect both the players and the integrity of the selection process.
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The Relationship Controversy and Marriage Breakdown
The policy changes follow a public statement from Gardner’s ex-wife, Monica Wright. Wright went public with allegations that Gardner had an affair with Georgia Voll, which led to the end of their short marriage. The couple had been married for only a few months before they separated and removed photos of each other from social media.
Wright publicly questioned why Cricket Australia remained silent for so long. She argued that a clear power imbalance exists when a senior leader has a relationship with a junior teammate. Furthermore, Wright suggested that Gardner should not remain in a leadership position because captains and vice-captains should hold high moral standards. However, Cricket Australia confirmed they were aware of the relationship before it became news in the media. They chose to treat the matter as a personal issue while focusing on the professional implications for the team.
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Ash Gardner Breaks Silence and Issues Apology
Ash Gardner addressed the situation for the first time on Thursday through an Instagram statement. She acknowledged that her relationship status needed addressing because of her role as vice-captain. Specifically, she thanked the Cricket Australia board for their continued support of her leadership.
In a statement, Gardner said she was sorry about the situation. She also said she valued their time together and wished Wright well in the future. Gardner also asked that everyone involved be given privacy and said she would have no further public comment on the matter.
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