Australia vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner‘s controversy involving her estranged wife, Monica Wright, has become one of the biggest talking points in cricket circles. Gardner, who is reportedly separated from her wife since November 2025, is publicly accused by Wright of having an affair with teammate Georgia Voll. The allegations came to light following a Daily Mail report claiming that Gardner’s marriage broke down after she allegedly cheated on her wife with a fellow cricketer. While the report does not identify the individual, Wright later takes to social media to make a direct accusation.

While Gardner or Cricket Australia are yet to comment on the matter publicly, a fresh detail adds a new twist to the controversy.

According to an unnamed source quoted by the Daily Mail, Gardner and Voll are understood to have started a relationship during Australia’s World Cup campaign in India last year. Wright reportedly travelled to India to support her wife, unaware of the alleged affair.

“Monica then visited to see her wife for the World Cup,” the insider claimed.

“It was a little bit weird. Monica sat next to Georgia at one point. She was being friendly, as she normally is. It felt like something was off with Ash, but we thought it was just the pressure of the World Cup.”

After Australia were knocked out by India in the semi-finals, Gardner returned to Sydney and allegedly informed Wright about the affair.

“When they got home, Ash said, ‘Hey, look, can we talk?’ She sat Monica down and said, ‘I messed up,’” stated the source.

The couple reportedly had plans to start a family before their separation, but the Daily Mail claimed that Gardner moved out of their Sydney home in November and left behind their wedding rings in a cupboard. 

“They were about to go to the fertility clinic. They had a booking that Monica had to cancel,” the insider said.

“Ash left one day. Monica came home and everything of Ash’s was gone, except for the rings. She left the wedding rings in the cupboard. Just the box of wedding rings, and that was it,” the source added.

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Johnny Nelson has raised major concerns about a heavyweight that holds wins over some of the biggest names in the division.

Nelson arguably ended his career at the perfect time, retiring as WBO cruiserweight champion back in 2005 after nearly seven straight years in possession of the belt, making him the longest reigning world cruiserweight champion in history.

Since hanging up the gloves, he has gone on to become one of the leading pundits in the UK, and he has now voiced his worries for his countryman and heavyweight fighter Joe Joyce.

Joyce was once seen as one of the stars of the division, claiming stoppage victories over Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker, but back-to-back losses to Zhilei Zhang in 2023 derailed the career of the Olympic silver medallist.

He has since suffered three further losses, beaten on points by both Derek Chisora and Filip Hrgovic, before a TKO loss to Artem Suslenkov in Russia on Saturday.

Speaking to TalkSport, Nelson expressed how concerned he was for Joyce.

“He’s going to regret it. When he’s 45, 50 and he can’t remember where he put his shoes or his back is hurting, it has all the after effects of boxing too long. You’ll hear it in his speech, listen to how he talks now.

“What we do as fighters is we’re willing to sell our souls to the devil and say ‘you know what, I don’t know what it costs, I’m going in.’ He’s not thinking about his health or tomorrow. What about his family. What about their concern?”

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Joyce is yet to make a decision on his future after the latest defeat, but at 40-years-old, many fans are urging him to make the decision to retire.

ATLANTA — The FBI and Atlanta Police Department are getting ready for a massive security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium. 

Both agencies have used drones to search for potential threats on the ground and in the sky. The FBI is enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration’s Temporary Flight Restrictions around the venue. 

The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones nationwide since the World Cup began. Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office Marlo Graham said 86 of those drones were seized in Atlanta. 

Graham said the FBI uses a “mechanism” that allows agents to see unauthorized drones in restricted airspace. Agents then work to mitigate the threat posed by unknown drones.

“We’ve been able to safely land drones that have been unauthorized in the flight restricted area,” Graham said. 

The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones at World Cup events since the tournament started. (FBI Atlanta)

While the FBI treats every drone as a potential threat, Graham said the threat level can increase depending on the size of the drone and how close it gets to the stadium.

“Obviously, the closer to the venue, the larger the crowd. We are fortunate here in Atlanta that we have a closed dome stadium,” Graham said. “We don’t want the game to be impacted because a hobbyist couldn’t control their drone, and it lands right when one of our star players was getting ready to score a goal.”

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The Atlanta Police Department’s Drone Unit has helped the FBI track down people suspected of flying in restricted zones. 

Sgt. Kindu Franklin said most of the people caught flying drones around World Cup venues are hobbyists with no intent to harm the crowd of soccer fans below.

“In some cases, they just recently bought a drone just for FIFA to get some of the cool footage that they want to put up on their social media,” Franklin said. “There are different ways that you can weaponize these drones. So, we’re operating in a proactive manner.”

The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission at the World Cup focuses on surveillance.  (FOX)

The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission is focused on surveillance. Officers are looking for potential threats, traffic issues and people the FBI suspects are flying drones illegally.

“So, what we want to do is give our command staff a view that they can’t get from the ground,” Sgt. James Cunningham with APD’s Drone Unit said. 

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Cunningham’s unit can launch drones remotely from handheld controllers. Other drones are launched from docking stations strategically placed across the city, and officers control them from the back of an SUV using a computer and a PlayStation controller. 

The Atlanta Police Department launches some drones from docks strategically placed across the city. They are controlled by a computer and a PlayStation controller.  (Fox News)

The drone docks are used year-round to help the police get an aerial view of emergency situations before officers arrive. The computer shows the drone pilot where all the police body cameras and vehicles are in the area, allowing them to communicate better with officers on the ground. 

For the World Cup, the drone docks let the department have more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster.

“It’s going to cut down time. We’re going to get there quick. And then you’re going to get an aerial perspective of what you can’t see on the ground,” Cunningham said. 

The Atlanta Police Department launches some drones from docks to get more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster.  (Fox News)

Cunningham said the drone unit has completed more than 1,400 flights and logged more than 550 flight hours since the beginning of June. 

“Some people haven’t even done that in years or haven’t even reached those numbers in the life of their drone unit,” Cunningham said. 

“We train for the environment. We live here, so we know what to expect,” Anais Paredes, an APD drone pilot, said. 

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The FBI is asking that hobbyist drone pilots know the Temporary Flight Restrictions in their area before taking off. 

There is a one-mile restriction around World Cup stadiums on non-match days, and a three-mile restriction on game day. 

PHILADELPHIA — I was ready to be angry. Hell, I was angry. I wrote a whole column about how mad I was at myself for getting angry regarding the Home Run Derby format change. I still prefer the clock, but Monday night’s event in Philadelphia had positives. A good number of them. 

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and the Citizens Bank Park crowd sprang to life and stole the show late, making it an incredibly fun night before Cardinals breakout star Jordan Walker made an unlikely late surge to win it. This Derby was a rousing success. 

The potential problems with this Home Run Derby format

On the negative side, a new solution to a nonexistent problem is never a good idea. You know the old saying, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it?” Yeah, the Home Run Derby was not broken. It had been great ever since slapping a clock on it. The players and crowd making the event fun doesn’t mean the format change was necessary. 

You see, the Derby used to have a problem. By 2014, it had become a relative bore. The hitters were taking far too many pitches, either because they wanted a mini-rest in the batter’s box or because they were far too selective on the pitches they were seeing — really, it was a combination of the two. Then, Major League Baseball, prior to the 2015 Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati, decided to fix the problem. The league put a clock on the Home Run Derby, creating an urgency and preventing the players from taking pitches. It was a glorious recovery of an event that had gone sour.

Now, here in 2026, the format of the event was changed. For the worse, in my opinion. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t nearly as unwatchable as the 2014 version, and there were plenty of fun moments early. It’s a Home Run Derby. Of course there will be fun moments. Schwarber said after the event that this new format “gives us a little bit of a breather” and allows players to “pace it out a bit.” That’s fair. If someone said something along the lines of, “we don’t need to exhaust these guys just for our entertainment in a meaningless event,” I wouldn’t have a great rebuttal to that. 

Further, the taking of pitches was not nearly as big of a problem as it had become in the 2011-14 Derbies. There were pitches taken, but it wasn’t excessive. Willson Contreras took too many pitches in the second round, but he was facing off against a Philllies player, and the crowd booed lustily every time he didn’t swing. That part was actually funny. There was a repeat of this in the final round when Walker batted. We’ll get back to this fun. The final two matchups — Schwarber vs. Contreras and Schwarber vs. Walker — salvaged an event that looked doomed to disappoint. 

In all, the event didn’t drag on. It wrapped up in about two-and-a-half hours. The last few years, as the league continued to add extra time bonuses, the Derby probably went a bit too long. There’s a shelf life for watching bomb after bomb and once you hit the three-hour mark, you start to lose the crowd’s energy a little bit. Even Monday night in Philadelphia, the Junior Caminero and Walker portions of the second round were met with a veritable yawn from the crowd, and these are two of the most exciting, young sluggers in the game. There’s only so long you can cheer watching the same thing over and over. 

The place felt sleepy. 

How the Philly crowd helped save the night

Enter Schwarber and the Philly Phaithful. 

The Schwarber vs. Contreras bout in Round 2 was excellent theater, and the crowd was a big reason why. Sure, they were cheering a bunch for Schwarber, but Contreras’ turn was the most fun of the night. The crowd was booing the entire time he was up, quite loudly, until he’d hit a home run (they’d quiet) or swing and not hit a homer (raucous explosion). It was the most fun I’ve had with a Home Run Derby crowd since Todd Frazier walked things off in Cincinnati the first year with the clock. 

Then came the finals, and the crowd wasn’t done. It was absolutely electric for Schwarber’s entire turn (and the MLB homer leader hitting 11 home runs in 15 swings before finally falling short on his 16th swing had a lot to do with it). They never had time to settle down. He just kept launching ball after ball into the night. 

“Philly, I just wanna say thank you guys for all the support,” Schwarber said afterward. “You guys were amazing. I was trying to represent you guys the best I can. You guys showed out tonight. I can’t wait to see you guys tomorrow at the All-Star Game.”

Then came Walker’s turn and, again, the crowd was incredibly loud with the boos, quiet during homers and loud again during balls that fell short. It was top-notch entertainment. The crowd only deflated when Walker hit six home runs on his last six swings to steal the win from Schwarber.

“My thought was ‘Philly is brutal,’ honestly,” Walker said with a smile as he held a press conference with the trophy sitting in front of him. “But I think it’s pretty special because they love their players. That’s what you want from your home — where you play. I’ve never heard people cheer so loud for Schwarber and (Bryce) Harper. And those guys did their thing, for sure. But, you know, I can’t hate ’em because that’s their hometown guys.”

Contreras loved the scene, too. “I feel like I won,” he said (via Boston Globe). 

Should the clock come back?

We also had a chance to enjoy the majesty of the most prodigious of home runs. Without the clock, the pitchers were able to give a little time between pitches and the hitters could watch their shots fly into the stands. Everyone in the crowd — and at home — could watch the full flight path of the balls in the air without worrying about losing the next shot. We didn’t need to be overly reliant on the scoreboard and were able to easily count the number of home runs versus the number of remaining swings. 

It felt less frantic, too. 

You know what, though? I liked the frantic nature of action provided by the clock. It was a feature for me, not a bug. As an in-person product, I sure missed the drama of the clock. This is a once-a-year event with some of the strongest power hitters in the world. I loved that balls were flying all over the yard at a pace that most humans couldn’t keep up with. I liked being able to look at the scoreboard and think, “oh wow, he’s already to 13?” I liked glancing back and forth between the ball flying out of the yard and the clock and trying to figure out how many more home runs the hitter could squeeze in there. 

Now, there was some urgency at the end of the first round, notably involving both Phillies. Schwarber needed a late surge to surpass Munetaka Murakami, and then Bryce Harper made a run at taking out his teammate for the fourth and final spot. It was fun. The finals with Walker storming back to take out Schwarber with the four straight home runs was incredible, too. 

I just found myself clamoring for the clock. Even the Contreras and Walker rounds, when they faced Schwarber, having a clock wouldn’t have eliminated the fun the crowd was having. It still would’ve been a funny mix of boos and cheers.

Not everyone is going to agree with me. Plenty of people were excited about the format change and enjoyed a return to just leisurely watching bombs leave the yard with time before the next pitch. 

Me? Gimme back the clock and all the chaos with it. I enjoyed Monday night for the most part; I just missed the clock. But man, the Philly crowd fueled by the Schwarber run to the finals salvaged things before Walker took the air out of the place. 

Manchester United’s midfield is undergoing a dramatic revamp this summer and should be headed by an £80m arrival

Manchester United are gifting Michael Carrick a brand-new midfield this summer. And Bournemouth’s Alex Scott should be the big-name arrival.

Champions League football will soon return to Old Trafford after now-permanent boss Carrick guided his side to a third-place finish. Building a squad fit for the competition is now the top priority. The departure of Casemiro leaves a void that needs to be filled and the club have already begun doing just that.

Andrey Santos is now a United player after his £50million move from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans could follow him through the door. United are in advanced talks with Aston Villa over this transfer and have reportedly activated his £35m release clause. Ederson’s move now looks dead in the water and could be revisited later this summer. Still, three midfielders are expected to be signed this window.

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Tielemans could be treated as an alternative to Ederson and also plays as a No. 10. Kobbie Mainoo will likely anchor the double pivot that Carrick operates, so there is still somewhat of a need for a combative, box-to-box number eight. Scott fits the role like a glove.

If we take a look at United’s final game of the 2025/26 season against Brighton, they were already planning for life without Casemiro. Four attacking players were deployed in advance of Mainoo and Mason Mount in the double pivot.

Mainoo was incredible, winning duel after duel, running the show from a slightly more defensive position and looking composed out of possession. He was crucial to their 3-0 win.

Next to him, Mount also impressed as the eight, but United are crying out for a star who is perhaps more physical and can protect the young and inexperienced Mainoo at times. Scott is the answer. The 22-year-old was phenomenal last season for the Cherries as they qualified for European football, doing so for the first time in their history.

Bournemouth are attempting to tie him down to a new contract, but it is understood he currently sits at the top of United’s midfield shortlist. The club should not waste any time and launch a bid for the youngster, reportedly valued at around £80m.

Scott is a tenacious player who is adept at carrying the ball upfield. His positioning is elite and where he trumps Mount is with his intelligent defensive screening and ability to intercept the ball cleanly.

He possesses the tactical discipline to sit, handles defensive transitions like a true box-to-box number eight and would aid Mainoo whilst still acting as a primary progressor, getting the ball to Bruno Fernandes.

With Andrey Santos and Tielemans, if he does end up signing, you have great back-ups for both starters and a good deal of versatility. Not to mention, Mount can also come into the fray in certain scenarios if he isn’t sold.

Scott is the player United should be looking at to bolster their midfield and alongside his list of suitable traits, he is also homegrown, which is useful for European competitions.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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After reports quickly became common knowledge, Shakur Stevenson has finally signed with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. While the news was expected to be followed by a fight announcement, the Newark southpaw has instead ruled out one of his rumoured rivals.

Stevenson is unanimously considered as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound superstars, with his undefeated record remaining intact despite him becoming the third-youngest four-division world champion of all time.

Now, Stevenson is seeking opportunities to take on his pound-for-pound rivals, with a clash against Devin Haney being suggested throughout 2026 thus far, until a move to Zuffa Boxing led to concerns that he may pursue an alternative fight.

Stevenson was also being mentioned for a fight with another Zuffa fighter, former WBA super-lightweight world champion, Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela. Yet, in an interview with ESPN, Stevenson made it clear that he would not be facing the Renton-based lefty any time soon.

“I’m turning the fight down publicly right now just in case that they do come to the table and say, ‘Oh, we want to fight Rayo.’ Shakur will not be fighting Rayo. That will not be happening.”

Instead, Stevenson maintained that he fully intends to take on boxing’s biggest names and that he will not be restricted to in-house Zuffa fights, calling for a clash with either Haney or Gervonta Davis next.

“Hopefully my next fight is with Devin Haney since Conor Benn isn’t here or, hopefully, it’s Gervonta Davis. I haven’t been calling his name lately, but now is the time to fight, so let’s do it.”

Despite Stevenson’s words, Haney seems more likely to face mandatory challenger, Keyshawn Davis, in a defence of his WBO welterweight world title, whilst ‘Tank’ Davis is expected to be sidelined until early 2027.