Big Rule Change of the ICC on Gender Eligibility
In a major policy decision on Tuesday, the ICC barred cricketers who have been through any form of male puberty from competing in international women's games regardless of whether or not they had undergone surgery or gender reassignment treatment. The ICC said it was taking the decision to protect the integrity of international women's football and the safety of players. In a statement, the ICC said, "The ICC Board approved new gender eligibility regulations for the international game following a nine-month consultation process with the sport's stakeholders."
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." Gender reassignment and treatment have been a hotly debated topic in world athletics for years.
The ICC, while firming up rules for gender eligibility for international women's cricket, left the issue at the domestic level in the hands of the member boards.