TRANSGENDER women have been banned from playing in women’s and girls’ cricket in England and Wales following a policy change announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday.
The ECB’s decision follows a UK Supreme Court ruling last month which stated that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person’s sex at birth and does not include transgender women who hold a gender recognition certificate.
The decision also comes a day after the English and Scottish football associations announced that transgender women would be barred from playing in the women’s game.
Since the start of this year, transgender women had already been banned from the top two tiers of elite women's cricket. However, they were still allowed to compete in women's matches up to tier three of the domestic game and in recreational cricket. The ECB has now expanded the ban.
"With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls' cricket matches," the ECB said in a statement. "Transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket."
The ECB said its recreational cricket regulations had always aimed to make the sport inclusive.
"These included measures to manage disparities, irrespective of someone's gender, and safeguard the enjoyment of all players," it said.
"However, given the new advice received about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, we believe the changes announced today are necessary."
The ECB acknowledged the “significant impact” the new policy may have on transgender women and girls, and said it remained committed to ensuring “cricket is played in a spirit of respect and inclusivity”.
Transgender participation has been under review in several sports. International governing bodies in cycling, swimming and athletics have also introduced policies that restrict transgender competitors.
US president Donald Trump signed an executive order in February seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
(With inputs from AFP)
