Sydney Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes says the club is backing Ash Gardner after her former wife Monica Wright accused Gardner of having an affair with a teammate while on tour for Australia.
Club shows support
Just over a week ago, Wright made the allegations, which were widely reported across several outlets and sent shockwaves through the industry. Haynes said she had exchanged messages with Gardner.
“I’ve checked in with her. She knows that we’re here to support her,” Haynes said. “She’s a well-respected player within our program, an important player for us, so I think the most important thing is knowing that we’re there for her, we care about her and look forward to continuing with the club ongoing.”
Captaincy remains
Asked if Gardner would remain as captain, Haynes said “absolutely.” Haynes noted that each year the club makes a recommendation to the board around leaders. “She certainly did a fantastic job last year, and we’ll be making that recommendation to our board that she continues.”
Gardner is a superstar of women’s cricket, serving as vice-captain of the Australian team and captain of the Sixers. She took over the Sixers’ captaincy at the end of last year, becoming the first Indigenous captain of a Big Bash side.
Background
The cheating allegations come just over a year after Gardner and Wright married in a secluded Blue Mountains retreat. It was reportedly a whirlwind romance after they met on a dating app in 2020. Prior to Gardner's appointment, cricket superstar Ellyse Perry held the Sixers captaincy.
At the time of Gardner’s appointment, Sixers coach Matthew Mott praised her maturity and cricket IQ. “The maturity that she’s got over the last few years, and her cricket IQ is as high as anyone in the world at the moment,” Mott said. “She’s learned off some of the great leaders in Australian cricket ... it’s just cherry ripe now for her to take this (Sixers) team. Ash is going to turn into probably one of the better leaders that has ever been produced in Australian cricket.”
