Like many other sports, cricket has faced some disagreements and concerns from cisgender women and certain fans about transgender women playing in the game. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), a month ago, announced a change to its eligibility regulations for transgender players in women’s and girls’ cricket, following a recent ruling by the English Supreme Court that clarified the legal position on the matter.
According to the updated policy, effective immediately, only individuals whose biological sex is female will be eligible to participate in women’s and girls’ cricket matches. Transgender women and girls will still be permitted to play in open and mixed-gender formats.
With the ongoing debate, Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has been vocal about the transgender women’s participation. When the ICC announced that transgender athletes would no longer be allowed to compete in women’s cricket, she expressed her disappointment.
She also took the opportunity to correct those who falsely assumed that she had transitioned to gain an advantage in women’s matches. She has been vocal about alleged harassment from fellow cricketers during and after her gender transition.
She has again sparked an important conversation within the cricketing world. She, through an Instagram post, has appealed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and International Cricket Council (ICC) to reconsider and revise their policies regarding the inclusion of transgender women in the sport.
In the video, she states, “From January to March 2025, I took part in an eight-week research project conducted by the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport in the UK. The objective was to assess how hormone therapy has impacted my strength, stamina, haemoglobin, glucose levels and overall performance capacity, all measured against cisgender female athletic standards.”
She further adds that her scientifically backed report validates that her haemoglobin, glucose levels, and power output now match or fall below cisgender female athlete norms. Additionally, hormone therapy has significantly reduced her endurance and muscle strength, demonstrating its effectiveness in aligning her physiology with female standards.
As a governing body that holds enormous influence over the future of cricket in India and globally, she wrote, ‘I urge the BCCI to consider the following recommendations to make the sport fairer and more inclusive’:
- Initiate a formal dialogue on transgender women’s inclusion in women’s cricket, grounded in medical science, performance metrics, and ethical fairness.
- Explore eligibility pathways based on sport-specific metrics such as haemoglobin thresholds, testosterone suppression timelines, and performance testing.
- Collaborate with experts, athletes, and legal advisors to create policies that are both inclusive and competitive.
She further adds that she was releasing her reports and story publicly not for sympathy but for truth. She finally concludes, saying, “I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you or a representative of the BCCI or ICC to present my findings, discuss possible policy pathways, and work towards a future where every athlete is evaluated based on real data—not outdated perceptions.”
By presenting a scientifically backed and validated report demonstrating that transgender women do not have the advantage that perceptions suggest over cisgender athletes, this could serve as an important step and call to action toward a more inclusive and fairer framework.
Loves all things female cricket