By Zainab Shafiq 
ECB announces policy for transgender women in women’s cricket. Trans women who have experienced male puberty will be excluded from Tiers 1 and 2 of the women’s county competition. The Women’s Hundred is included in that. That is according to a policy the ECB has announced. ECB has moved following the latest rules laid out by the ICC on transgender eligibility in 2023.
The changes to the transgender participation policy in women’s cricket are based on the safety of the players. In an admission of how controversial it is, the ECB says it supports the changes while appreciating the principles of fairness and safety as they apply at the top levels of the game. The rules are due to be implemented ahead of the start of the 2025 domestic season and will mirror those in force in other sports across the UK.
Transgender women’s inclusion in the sport is banned at the elite women’s cricket level, but not at the grassroots. Thus, of course, inclusivity remains a priority at the recreational levels of the game. Promotion and relegation of Tier 3 competition with Tiers 1 and 2 will begin in 2029.
The ECB has consulted with the stakeholders and experts about the new policy on transgender women in women’s cricket. Further, this policy safeguards the ECB with the global standards of ICC along with other sports governing bodies within the UK. The recreational level will ensure measures for physical disparity, but at the same time, it will ensure fairness and integrity in elite competitions.