Canadian transgender cricketer Danielle McGahey calls time on career after ICC ruling
Canadian transgender cricketer Danielle McGahey calls time on cricket career after ICC's ruling
Canadian transgender cricketer Danielle McGahey has officially called time on her career after the International Cricket Council's (ICC) latest ruling. On Tuesday, ICC in its general meeting decided to ban players from the transgender community to safeguard the interest of women players in the game. With this Australia-born Canadian star McGahey can no longer compete for the national side and has seen her cricket career come to a premature end.
McGahey announces retirement
"Following the ICC's decision this morning, it is with a very heavy heart that I must say that my international cricketing career is over," McGahey wrote in her emotional retirement note.
"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, we are not a threat to the integrity or safety of the sport. Never stop fighting!"
McGahey was the first transgender player to have played an official ICC match when she represented Canada at the Women's T20 World Cup Americas region qualifiers. Her side failed to make the later stage of the competition having faced elimination at the preliminary stage. She scored 118 runs for the national side with a best of 48.
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What was the ICC statement?
"The changes to the gender eligibility regulations resulted from an extensive consultation process and are 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."
Similar rulings were made in other sports like swimming, rugby union, cycling, and athletics where the respective operative bodies decided to pull the trigger on the participation of transgender athletes.
The review before taking the decision was led by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Peter Harcourt and his team and is bound for international contests only. The sanctions of the ICC are not bound to individual board members and imposing of them solely depends on each member.
