Sport5 min(s) read
A transgender cricketer has spoken out after being cleared to compete in elite women's cricket in Australia from March 2027.
Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, underwent gender-affirming surgery in March and is preparing to return to competitive cricket after several years away from the sport.
Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that, subject to meeting its policy requirements, she could become eligible for elite domestic women's cricket, including the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).
Until March 2027, she is eligible to compete in Premier Cricket competitions in any Australian state or territory because they are classified as Community Cricket.
According to reports, Bangar spoke about her decision and stressed that she had not been automatically cleared for a place on a team.
"Everyone, thank you for being here. 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," she said.
"I am preparing to return to women's cricket in Australia with the aim of pursuing elite cricket from March 2027. This has not been an automatic or an informal process. Cricket Australia has a framework designed to balance fairness, competitive integrity and inclusion in women's sport and my case has been considered through that framework," she added.
An expert panel consisting of CA's Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge, Integrity Partner, Legal Emily Yates, Head of Scheduling, Operations and Domestic Cricket Peter Roach, Anti-Doping Medical Officer Dr Peter Harcourt and Team Doctor Dr Pip Inge considered Bangar's case.
Bangar revealed that the assessment involved a wide range of information.
"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 playing footage as well, and the scientific and athletic performance work undertaken with Manchester Metropolitan University's Institute of Sport," she said.
Under CA's policy, a player seeking to participate in the female category of elite cricket must establish that their serum testosterone concentration has remained below 10 nmol/L continuously for at least 12 months, NDTV reported.
The athlete said that following her gender-affirming surgery, she no longer has testes, which she described as her previous primary source of testosterone.
She also said a blood test in July recorded her total testosterone at 0.6 nanomoles, within the female reference range reported by the laboratory.
Bangar will need another blood test when she arrives in Australia to confirm that she still meets the testosterone requirement.
"My understanding from Cricket Australia's clearance is that my eligibility for elite women's cricket from March 2027 remains subject to the applicable policy requirements, including a blood test assessment at the same time.
"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 added.
While the decision opens the door to possible WBBL competition, it does not guarantee Bangar a contract or a spot on any team.
"Cricket Australia has given me a pathway, which does not mean that I have been given a place in a team. 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 want my cricket to earn me a place on a cricket team," she said.
Bangar said she now intends to rebuild her fitness before pursuing opportunities at the WBBL level.
She told Bombay Times: "I am now eligible to play in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia from March 2027 onwards. For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever."
Bangar also acknowledged concerns about fairness and competitive integrity in women's sport: "At the same time, I believe inclusion and fairness do not have to be treated as mutually exclusive principles. Good sporting policy should be capable of considering both. This is why I respect the process Cricket Australia has followed in considering my case.
"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. And 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. Today, I finally have a pathway to try," she added.
While Cricket Australia's domestic policy provides Bangar with a route into elite women's cricket, international rules are different.
The International Cricket Council does not allow transgender women who have undergone male puberty to compete in elite international women's cricket.
That means Bangar's potential eligibility from March 2027 applies to Australia's domestic system and remains subject to her continued compliance with Cricket Australia's requirements.
Bangar said she hopes her case will contribute to the wider discussion about transgender participation in women's sport.
"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 shared.
"I hope that my journey can also contribute to a more informed conversation around transgender athletes in women's sport and how sporting organisations can approach these questions responsibly with evidence, individual assessment, fairness and respect. But ultimately, I want the conversation to come back to where it started for me," she concluded.
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