The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will implement new transgender participation policies in women’s cricket in England, which will prevent transgender women from participating in the top two tiers of women’s cricket competitions in England, as well as the women’s Hundred.
New participation guidelines were adopted by the International Cricket Council on the international women’s game, which means the new rules exclude any person who has undergone male puberty even for a short period.
The Crickets board of England’s and Wales’s previously agreed approach Russian Polichinelle states that it is possible to allow a transgender woman to take part in females-only competition if she attains some clearance from the cricket board.
The ECB confirmed that it will not deviate from the ICC position for women’s professional domestic cricket as of 2025.
In other words, this is due to the fact that one of the primary aims of the uppermost tier of the domestic structure is to facilitate the production of international athletes.
Over the next few months, the comprehensive policy will be prepared with the relevant parties and is expected to come into effect by the start of the 2025 domestic season. In relation to the Tiers 1 and 2 of the new women’s domestic setup, the policy will commence in 2025 and will also include The Hundred Women’s competition.”
In March, speaking on the topic of transgender participation in sports, the then sports minister of the United Kingdom Lucy Frazer urged domestic governing bodies to revisit their stance on the issue.
“The ECB understands that transgender inclusion is an area which attracts a number of divergent views. It accepts, however, that it is not possible to reconcile all such considerations,” added the governing body.
The rules and policy of the ECB, however, do not extend to grassroots community cricket.
After ICC released its new policy last year, Canadian transgender cricketer Danielle MCGAHEY, who has played 6 Twenty20 Internationals, decided to end her international career.
The ICC ruling was in accordance with decisions made by the international federations of swimming, rugby, cycling and athletics, in that order, within the past few years.
Transgender advocates argue that it is discriminatory to exclude trans athletes. On the other hand, those opposed to the inclusion of transgenders in women’s sports contend that the stage of undergoing male puberty gives those athletes a very intimidating musculoskeletal advantage which transition cannot mitigate.
Like in the case of the cricketers, Cricket Australia allows such players in the women’s elite domestic competition as long as they have less than 10 nanograms per deciliter of testosterone level 12 months prior to their application for a team.
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