Transgender athletes to be BANNED from professional cricket in England with controversial catch
Maxine Blythin was named Kent Women's Club Player of the Year in 2019
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are reportedly set to ban all transgender athletes from competing at the highest level in the sport, although they will be allowed to play in the grass-roots game.
Governing bodies have made big changes to their transgender policies, but the ECB were one of a few that allowed anyone who identified as a woman to take part in elite-level female-only competitions.
Each trans athlete who wanted to compete needed to secure written clearance from the ECB.
But they have faced increased calls for bring their policy in line with other organisations, such as the ICC who banned anyone to have gone through male puberty from playing at the elite level in the women's game.
Maxine Blythin was named Kent Women's Club Player of the Year in 2019
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There was uproar 18 months ago when a transgender athlete was allowed to compete against girls as young as 12.
The ECB said in response that they would be reviewing their policy 'in light of guidance from the UK Sports Council's Equality Group (SCEG)'.
The Telegraph now claims that review has finished with the ECB set to introduce a new policy in line with the ICC.
It means transgender athletes will be banned from professional and semi-professional events in the women's game.
However, the ban won't stretch down to the grass-roots game with anyone who identifies as a female still able to play against women.
Maxine Blythin was at the centre of the transgender row back in 2019 when she was named Kent Women's Club Player of the Year.
The cricketer explained at the time that a condition she was born with meant her testosterone levels were the same as those of biological women.
She said: “I was born with a condition that meant I never had any real levels of testosterone, which meant I never went through any form of male puberty.
The ECB will move its policy in line with the ICC
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“That condition means I’m eligible to play women’s sport at any level, in any sport, naturally.
“A lot of the debate that’s been going on and around doesn’t actually apply to myself.”
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Transgender athletes will be able to compete at the grass-root level
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The decision from the ECB also draws them in line with governing bodies from sports on an international level.
World Athletics, World Aquatics and the International Cycling Union all ban transgender athletes from competing in women's elite competition if they did not medically transition before puberty.
World Netball also joined the movement earlier this year in banning trans athletes from the elite level.
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