Trans-athlete Anaya Bangar, daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has been cleared to resume her cricketing journey at the community level in Australia, with her sights firmly set on making it to the Women’s Big Bash League by March 2027.
Key Points
- Anaya Bangar, daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has been cleared to play community-level cricket in Australia after undergoing gender-affirming surgery.
- She aims to pursue elite women’s cricket, including the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), from March 2027, provided she continues to meet required testosterone criteria.
- Cricket Australia conducted a comprehensive review of her circumstances, including medical history and hormone levels, to balance fairness, competitive integrity, and inclusion.
- Anaya previously appealed to the BCCI for participation in women’s cricket but received no response, while the ICC banned transgender athletes from women’s competition in 2023.
- She emphasises that eligibility is not selection and she intends to earn her place through training, competition, and performance, respecting concerns about fairness in women’s sport.
Set to resume her cricketing journey in faraway Australia after being cleared to play at the community level, trans-athlete Anaya Bangar says she does not have a team yet but is confident of making the breakthroughs that would open up the Women’s Big Bash League for her next year.
- ‘I can play cricket again’: Anaya Bangar gets Cricket Australia eligibility boost
Anaya, daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, played age-group men’s cricket for Mumbai before undergoing a gender-affirming surgery in March this year, completing a transition process that began in 2022.
“Today is an important day for me because after several years away from competitive cricket, I can finally speak about a pathway back to the sport that has been such a significant part of my life,” the 25-year-old told reporters in a press conference here on Wednesday night.
“I am preparing to return to women’s cricket in Australia with the aim of pursuing elite cricket from March 2027. I am not claiming that I have made a team. I am saying that I have been given the opportunity to compete for one. and I intend to work for it,” she added.
Cricket Australia’s Inclusive Framework
Anaya expressed gratitude towards Cricket Australia, saying the body has a framework designed to “balance fairness, competitive integrity and inclusion in women’s sport”.
“My understanding is that Cricket Australia’s review considered a comprehensive body of information relating to my circumstances, including my medical history, surgical history, hormone and testosterone levels, my cricketing background and training footage as well, and the scientific and athletic performance work undertaken with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport,” she said.
Anaya had previously appealed to the BCCI to allow her to participate in women’s cricket events but did not get a response from the Indian Board. The ICC banned transgender athletes from women’s competition in 2023.
Pathway to Elite Cricket
Anaya said her recent examination suggests she could maintain similar testosterone levels when she undergoes another test in March next year, which would eventually pave the way for her joining elite women’s cricket.
“I have also undergone gender affirming surgery…which means my previous primaryest in July recorded total testosterone at 0.6 nanomoles,” she said
“If that March 2027 test confirms that I continue to meet the required testosterone criteria, I will be eligible to pursue selection for elite women’s cricket, including the Women’s Big Bash League pathway,” she explained.
Anaya said she wants to train and compete like any other athlete and does not want past history to have any impact. “Eligibility is not selection. Cricket Australia has given me a pathway, which does not mean that I have been given a place in a team,” she said.
“I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity. That’s exactly how I want it. I don’t expect my history or my identity to earn me a place on a cricket team.
“I know there will be scrutiny, questions and different opinions. I respect that women’s sport has legitimate considerations about fairness and competitive integrity.”
Inclusion and Fairness
Anaya said inclusion and fairness do not have to be treated as mutually exclusive principles. “Good sporting policy should be capable of considering both.”
Anaya said she knew getting back to cricket would be tough after undergoing the gender-affirming surgery. “For me personally, this is about more than a policy decision. I began playing cricket because I love the sport. I competed because I wanted to become better.
“When I transitioned, one of the most difficult possibilities I had to confront was that cricket might no longer have a place for me. I spent years trying to find a way back,” she said.
“Today, I finally have a pathway to try.”
Source: www.rediff.com
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