McGahey to become first transgender to play international cricket

For the first time in international cricket, a transgender woman player will feature in ICC-related tournaments. Danielle McGahey, 29, is set to become the first transgender woman player to play in international cricket. The right-hand batter from Australia, who moved to Canada in 2020, had fulfilled the eligibility criteria for male-to-female (MTF) transition, per ICC.

McGahey is named in Canada’s squad for the Women’s T20 Americas Qualifier, the pathway tournament to the T20 World Cup 2024. According to BBC Sport, the first to break this news, McGahey socially transitioned from male to female three years ago in 2020 before undergoing a medical transition in 2021. Per an ICC statement released on Thursday, Danielle McGahey is eligible to feature in women’s international cricket after ticking all the requirements needed to participate.

ICC’s rules for transgender players

Cricket’s governing body (ICC) made changes to the Player Eligibility regulations in 2021. In Article 3, the term transgender (dealing with eligibility based on gender recognition) is defined as “individuals whose gender identity is different from the biological sex assigned to them at birth (whether they are pre- or post-puberty, and whether or not they have undergone any form of medical intervention)”.

It further states that for a male transitioning to female, the testosterone levels are the key parameters and should be “less than 5 nmol/l (nanomole per litre) continuously for a period of at least 12 months and that she is ready, willing and able to continue to keep it below that level for so long as she continues to compete in the female category of competition”.

However, as things stand, McGahey is eligible to feature in women’s international cricket and create history with her participation.

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