The ECB has announced that, from the 2025 season onwards, trans women will no longer be eligible to compete in recreational women’s and girls’ cricket matches.
The decision comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of ‘woman’ is decided by biological sex, regardless of gender, and follows a precedent set by the FA, among others, in limiting trans women’s participation. The ECB do not have data on the number of players this new directive will affect.
There has long been debate over the participation of trans women in cricket. The ICC banned trans women from international cricket in 2023 following controversy over Danielle McGahey’s debut for Canada. Back in 2019, Maxine Blythin was named Kent’s Women’s Player of the Year, an award that drew the ire of Piers Morgan and Katie Hopkins. Tammy Beaumont, Blythin’s then-teammate at Kent, defended her, tweeting “Cricket is a sport for all and no one should be included because of who they are”.
READ: Opinion - Trans women are not a threat to the integrity of women's international cricket
“Our regulations for recreational cricket have always aimed at ensuring that cricket remains as inclusive a sport as possible,” read an ECB statement. “These included measures to manage disparities, irrespective of someone’s gender, and safeguard the enjoyment of all players. 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.”
