Cricket Australia calls for inclusion to be the focus of ICC trans policy

Cricket Australia says it will continue to encourage the ICC to prioritise inclusion ahead of science after the world body banned athletes who had undergone male puberty from playing international women’s cricket.

Cricket Australia will continue to encourage the ICC to prioritise inclusion ahead of pure science after the world governing body’s controversial call effectively banning transgender females from playing in women’s international cricket.

The ICC announced in November that anyone who went through puberty as a male would not be allowed to play in a women’s international.

The decision meant that Australian-born transgender woman Danielle McGahey would no longer be able to play at the international level. McGahey made history in September by playing six Twenty20 internationals for Canada, becoming cricket’s first transgender international.

The ICC’s stance differs considerably from that of CA, which released guidelines for gender-diverse players in 2019.

Under CA’s policy, there are no restrictions around the age of transition however to qualify for women’s cricket, a transgender player must show a concentration of testosterone of less than 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months.

The inconsistency between the ICC and CA’s stance means that a transgender player may now be eligible to play in the Women’s Big Bash League but not for Australia.

The policy is yet to be tested at the elite level in Australia.

While stopping short of criticising the ICC, CA chief Nick Hockley said inclusiveness ought to be a focus.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has backed the national body’s policy over transgender athletes. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images.

“That the first thing I’d say is we’re very clear that our vision is to be a sport for all. We were really proud that in 2019, to put out a leading set of transgender guidelines, both for the community and for elite cricket, and they were based absolutely on the philosophy of inclusion. We’re really proud of that,” Hockley told this masthead.

“The ICC guidelines go a bit further in terms of it takes quite a scientific approach.

“We’ve expressed that we think that inclusion is the priority so we will continue to work with the ICC to express our views. As the ICC guidelines relate to World Cups and international cricket. we’re not currently aware of a situation in Australia where there’s a transgender athlete currently vying for international teams. So at this stage it is hypothetical. We will continue to work closely with the ICC to express our views. I think we need to be really inclusive and we also need to be very mindful of player wellbeing and mental health considerations as well.”

McGahey posted on Instagram following the ICC decision last month, arguing that the governing body was telling trans women that they didn’t belong in cricket.

“Following the ICC’s decision this morning, it is with a very heavy heart that I must say that my international cricketing career is over. As quickly as it begun, it must now end,” McGahey wrote.

“While I hold my opinions on the ICC’s decision, they are irrelevant. What matters is the message being sent to millions of trans women today, a messaging say (sic) that we don’t belong. I promise I will not stop fighting for equality for us in our sport, we deserve the right to play cricket at the highest level, we are not a threat to the integrity or safety of the sport.

“Never stop fighting!”