The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced that transgender women will not be able to feature in the new women’s domestic structure or in the top two tiers of the women’s hundreds competition.
The updated transgender policy reflects the International Cricket Council’s decision last year to ban anyone who has gone through male puberty from participating in women’s internationals.
In banning transgender women from playing professional women’s domestic cricket, the ECB said it had consulted “relevant scientific and medical evidence” and considered “fairness, safety and inclusion”.
However, the ECB has confirmed that the third tier of the new domestic system, which is expected to launch next year, plus recreational cricket, will welcome individuals of the gender they identify with.
It comes with the caveat of an already established “policy of inequality” that covers anyone with a noticeable strength, stamina, and/or physical advantage that might pose a safety or fairness issue.
The ECB statement, which will present the new policy in time for the 2025 domestic season, said:
“The ECB recognizes that transgender participation is a complex area with very strong opinions and it is impossible to balance all considerations.
“We want everyone to feel included and welcome in our sport and believe the position achieved strikes the right balance, ensuring fairness in elite play while ensuring inclusivity at the recreational level, with specific safeguards to manage inequality and ensure safety.”
Transgender athletes have been banned from elite women’s competition in other sports such as swimming, cycling, athletics, rugby league and rugby union.
Current ECB policy dictated that anyone who identified as female could compete for professional club and England teams as long as they had written permission.
Speaking about the ECB’s update, Dr Seema Patel, Associate Professor at Nottingham Law School, said:
Patel, who was a member of the Cricket Disciplinary Committee which investigated the Yorkshire racism scandal, added: based on ideas of biological advantage, security and justice.
“However, there is inconsistency in the application of this approach and the effectiveness of the ban in the long term remains unclear. In the deliberative processes adopted by governing bodies, genuine engagement beyond the scope of differing viewpoints is needed. the scientific community to set the rules.
“It is important to set regulatory boundaries, but they must be considered alongside the changing environment in which gender diversity is embedded in our society and identity is evolving.”
The new ECB rules do not apply to the massive game, which has been criticized by human rights charity Sex Matters.
The charity’s director of campaigns, Fiona McAnenna, said The Telegraph“The ECB’s message to women and girls seems to be that if you’re not a top player, you’re not getting fair play.”
