In a significant policy shift, the ICC announced on Tuesday that individuals who have experienced any form of male puberty are now prohibited from participating in international women’s cricket, regardless of whether they have undergone surgery or gender reassignment treatment.
The ICC said it was deciding to protect the integrity of international women’s game and the safety of players. In a statement, the ICC said, “The ICC Board approved new gender eligibility regulations for the international game following a nine-month consultation process with the sport’s stakeholders.
“The new policy is based on the following principles (in order of priority), protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness and inclusion, and this means any Male to Female participants who have been through any form of male puberty will not be eligible to participate in the international women’s game regardless of any surgery or gender reassignment treatment they may have undertaken.”
Also Read: Binance के सीईओ Changpeng Zhao का इस्तीफा, मनी लॉन्ड्रिंग केस में दोषी
ICC Game-Changing Decision
Gender reassignment and treatment have been a hotly-debated topic in world athletics for years. ICC decided at its Board meeting in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Asked what triggered ICC to bring about this change, a source said it was due to “cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.”
“Since cricket will be an Olympic sport, it has to be governed by the Olympic guidelines. This gender issue is a huge one at global level. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has changed regulations and advised sports to implement regulations suitable for their sport, which is what we have done,” said an ICC source.
World Athletic (WA), the governing body for track and field and other running competitions, had also barred transgender women, who went through male puberty, from competing in women’s events at international competitions. The policy took effect on 31 March, 2023.
WA has additionally stated that athletes aiming to compete as women must maintain a testosterone level below 2.5 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) for a minimum of 24 months leading up to an international competition.
Also Read: NCERT पैनल ने की सिलेबस बदलने की सिफारिश, किताबों में शामिल हो सकते हैं महाभारत और रामायण