The gender debate in sport continues to rumble on
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Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley has insisted 'inclusion is the priority' with the country determined to keep allowing transgender players to take part in the sport.
Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed they would be introducing fresh 'gender eligibility regulations'.
A 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.
Cricket recently banned transgender athletes from taking part at international level
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"The regulations will be reviewed within two years."
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice added at the time: “The changes to the gender eligibility regulations resulted from an extensive consultation process and is founded in science and aligned with the core principles developed during the review.
"Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players.”
Cricket Australia, however, will continue to let trans players take part at domestic level.
And Hockley has now explained that decision, insisting it's important not to marginalise the minority group.
“We were really proud in 2019 to put out a leading set of transgender guidelines, both for the community and for elite cricket, and they were based absolutely on the philosophy of inclusion," he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
“The ICC guidelines go a bit further in terms of it takes quite a scientific approach.
"We’ve expressed that we think that inclusion is the priority, so we will continue to work with the ICC to express our views.”
Cricket Australia's current transgender guidelines enable transgender women to compete in elite-level domestic women's competitions.
Trans athletes must maintain testosterone levels of less than 10 nanograms per deciliter for 12 months before being ruled eligible.
Hockley added: “I think we need to be really inclusive and we also need to be very mindful of player wellbeing and mental health considerations as well."
Meanwhile, Danielle McGahey became the first trans player to take part at international level earlier in the year.
The Canada star is, however, no longer able to take part.
And McGahey admitted to disappointment following the decision from the ICC.
“My international cricketing career is over," the batter said.
Cricket Australia are prepared to let transgender athletes play domestically despite the international ban
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"As quickly as it begun, it must now end.”
McGahey added: “While I hold my opinions on the ICC’s decision, they are irrelevant.
“What matters is the message being sent to millions of trans women today, a message saying that we don’t belong.
“I promise I will not stop fighting for equality for us in our sport. We deserve the right to play cricket at the highest level.
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"We are not a threat to the integrity or safety of the sport.”
“Never stop fighting!”