Trans women to be banned from elite cricket tournaments in England from 2025

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has banned trans women from the top tiers of women’s domestic cricket.

Under the new policy, announced on Thursday (17 October), trans women will no longer be able to participate in elite women’s domestic cricket in England.

The decision was made after what the ECB Board described as an “extensive consultation” which was extended after the International Cricket Commission (ICC) essentially banned trans women from competitive play.

“In reaching its conclusion, the ECB has considered the interaction between fairness, safety and inclusion, all of which are considered important,” the ECB said in a statement.

A detailed policy will reportedly be drafted over the coming months in consultation with stakeholders of the team sport, and be implemented in early 2025.

The ECB noted that it will likely adopt the “same approach” as the ICC for gauging who can participate in the two-tier domestic sport, by determining whether an individual has “undergone male puberty.”

It said that the board had considered “wide-ranging views” during the consultation, as well as “relevant science and medical evidence.”

“The ECB is striving to become the most inclusive team sport,” it added. “Recreational cricket and Tier 3 of the domestic structure – which comprises National Counties, will continue to use the existing social model, where individuals are accepted in the gender they identify as.

“The ECB recognises that transgender participation is a complex area, with many strongly held views, and it is impossible to balance all the considerations.

“We want everyone to feel included and welcome in our sport, and believe the position reached strikes an appropriate balance by ensuring fairness in the elite game while ensuring inclusivity at a recreational level, with specific safeguards in place to manage disparities and ensure safety.”

Despite its claim, there is no explicit evidence that trans women’s participation in sporting events poses a risk to cisgender athletes.

Following a decision by World Aquatics, formally FINA, to essentially ban trans women from women’s competitive swimming events, Endocrinologist, Dr Ada Cheung, clarified that experts don’t know if trans women have a biological advantage.

“We actually don’t know if there’s a biological advantage for transgender women over cisgender women because the science is not clear,” Cheung said. “[World Aquatic’s] report is really based on a group of people’s opinion, it’s not a gold standard.”

In fact, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that trans athletes could be disadvantaged in some competitive fields, particularly those that rely on cardiovascular capability and strength.