Danielle McGahey from Canada is gearing up to become the first transgender cricketer to play in an official international match. Danielle McGahey has been included in the Canadian squad for the qualifying tournament leading up to the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
The 29-year-old opening batsman fully meets all criteria set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for transgender players transitioning from male to female. Danielle McGahey’s participation is possible despite bans on transgender women competing in other sports, including track and field, cycling, swimming, and both forms of rugby, in elite women’s competitions.
It’s worth noting that cricket match bets can be placed on Mostbet UZ APK, where women’s competitions are also featured.
What is ICC’s stance on transgender women?
ICC regulations regarding player qualification, published in 2018 and amended in 2021, state that transgender women wishing to play international women’s cricket must demonstrate that their blood testosterone levels have been below 5 nmol/L continuously for at least 12 months. They must also be prepared, willing, and able to maintain it at this level throughout the competition.
It also states that a transgender player transitioning from male to female must provide a “written and signed statement in a form satisfactory to the appointed medical officer that their gender identity is female.”
Danielle McGahey said, “To determine [my testosterone level], I have been getting blood tests every month for over two years. I also need to specify in my player profile who I played with and how many points I scored. My doctor did a lot of work sending my medical records to the ICC… they have a special medical officer who reviews all the submitted information and determines whether I have provided enough data for the expert group’s decision. The biggest challenge is the need to get blood tests every month, especially since you travel a lot when playing cricket.”
Addressing as any other player
MacGey is gearing up to make her full debut in T20 for Canada against Brazil at the opening of the four-team ICC Americas qualifying tournament, which also features hosts USA and Argentina.
The winners of the California tournament will advance to the Global qualifying tournament for the Women’s T20 World Cup among 10 teams, where they will compete against Ireland and Sri Lanka, as well as the leading teams from the Asia, East Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa regions.
The women from Brazil, all of whom are professional cricketers contracted with Brazil Cricket, faced MacGey and her teammates in Rio de Janeiro last year.
Brazil’s captain Roberta Moretti Avery mentioned that MacGey’s presence in the Canadian team was discussed prior to the tournament. However, she will be “treated the same as any other player” when she plays at Woodley Park in Los Angeles.
Avery stated, “In cricket, we can only play by the rules set by the rule creators and abide by the current regulations. I don’t think the rule is perfect, but it’s not the fault of any individual player. I believe we’ll see how Dani will impact the game in the future. We don’t know how it’ll turn out. For now, I believe the situation is fair.”
The reality is that cricket is faced with a choice…
In Canada, where every 300th individual over the age of 15 is transgender or non-binary, there has already been a prominent transgender athlete this year. Canadian soccer player Quinn recently became the first transgender player to participate in FIFA’s World Cup.
Quinn came out as non-binary in September 2020 and was allowed to play in accordance with FIFA’s existing rules, which determine participation based on the sex assigned at birth, not gender identity.
Other sports have clearly defined their stances on transgender players transitioning from male to female, with arguments revolving around competition fairness. Cricket had to make its choice, and it did.
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