London [UK], May 2 (ANI): The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday that transgender women will no longer be allowed to participate in women’s and girls’ cricket at any level in England and Wales. This decision follows changes to its regulations concerning eligibility.
In its statement, the ECB clarified, “The ECB is today announcing a change to its regulations regarding eligibility for transgender players in women’s and girls’ cricket. This is based on the updated legal position following the recent Supreme Court ruling.”
Effective immediately, only individuals whose biological sex is female will be eligible to compete in women’s and girls’ cricket matches. However, transgender women and girls are still allowed to participate in open and mixed cricket.
This move comes in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman in equality law. Prior to this, the ECB had already imposed a ban on transgender women participating in elite competitions, aligning its eligibility policy with that of the International Cricket Council (ICC) adopted in 2023.
The ECB emphasized that its recreational cricket regulations have always aimed to maintain inclusivity while managing gender disparities to ensure the enjoyment of all players. However, due to new legal advice following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the organization felt that these changes were necessary.
While acknowledging that the decision would have a “significant impact” on transgender women and girls, the ECB committed to offering support. The statement continued, “We will work with Recreational Cricket Boards to support people impacted by this change in our regulations.”
The board also noted that it was awaiting updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and would carefully consider it. “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 ECB concluded.
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