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The decision was made after a two-year review of the ICC's transgender policy.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned transgender players who have gone through male puberty from playing international women's cricket.
The new gender eligibility regulations were announced on November 21, 2023, and are aimed at protecting the integrity of the women's game and the safety of players.
The ICC's previous policy allowed transwomen to compete in international cricket if they demonstrated that the concentration of testosterone in their serum had been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for at least 12 months
Also, if they provided a written and signed declaration that their gender identity was female.
ICC Statement on transgender participation in International Cricket
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the governing body concluded that they had made the decision following a nine-month consultation process to protect the safety of female players.
According to the Mirror, the statement read:
'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.
'The review, which was led by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Peter Harcourt, relates solely to gender eligibility for international women’s cricket, whilst gender eligibility at domestic level is a matter for each individual Member Board, which may be impacted by local legislation.
'The regulations will be reviewed within two years.'
The new policy means that 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.
The regulations will be reviewed within two years, and decisions to allow transgender women to play at the domestic level will be made by individual member boards
The ICC's decision has been met with criticism from some quarters. Some people have argued that the ban is discriminatory and unfair.
Others have said that the ban is not based on scientific evidence.
Has there ever been any transgender cricketer?
Canada's Danielle McGahey became the first transgender cricketer to be named in an international women's squad earlier this year.
McGahey socially transitioned to a woman in November 2020 and began medically transitioning in May 2021.
The 29-year-old made her debut in a T20 international against Brazil in September.
However, under the ICC's new regulations, she will no longer be able to compete in international women's cricket.
