All-rounder Gardner was pulled out from Australia's playing XI minutes before the toss in bizarre circumstances. While warming up before the opening T20I against New Zealand began in Mackay, Gardner suffered a hit in the jaw due to a collision with teammate Georgia Wareham.

Ash Gardner was replaced by fellow allrounder Heather Graham after she ran head-first into teammate Georgia Wareham during the warm up, copping a nasty blow to her jaw.