The World of Cricket in Men and Women have garnered a lot of love and appreciation from the fans but there has been a lot of debate on transgender cricketers as well not only in the game of cricket but in every sport in the world.
Though there has been a fair share of transgender cricketers in the English cricket fraternity as well, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has officially banned transgender cricketers from performing in Women’s cricket altogether. The board has also said that they will be working with recreational boards to support the athletes who are in this category of cricketers right now.
“With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches, Transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket. Our regulations for recreational cricket have always aimed at ensuring that cricket remains as inclusive a sport as possible. These included measures to manage disparities, irrespective of someone’s gender, and safeguard the enjoyment of all players,” The ECB statement said.
“However, given the new advice received about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, we believe the changes announced today are necessary. We acknowledge that this decision will have a significant impact on transgender women and girls. We will work with Recreational Cricket Boards to support people impacted by this change in our regulations. We await updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and will study this carefully. We maintain that abuse or discrimination has no place in our sport and are committed to ensuring that cricket is played in a spirit of respect and inclusivity,” The statement concluded.
Speaking of the schedule of the ECB, they will have two upcoming events to look forward to, which include the One-off Test against Zimbabwe and the five-match T20I series that will be played against India. All these series will be played at home as well.
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