Danielle McGahey, the first transgender woman to play international cricket, has announced retirement from the sport following a significant modification to the International Cricket Council’s gender eligibility criteria that prohibited transgender players from competing in women’s internationals.
The 29-year-old Canadian player, who was born in Australia, announced the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
“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 messaging say 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, we are not a threat to the integrity or safety of the sport,” she said.
The Australia-born relocated to Canada in 2020 underwent a male-to-female medical transition in 2021. She made history in September by being the first transgender player to compete internationally. She has scored 118 runs at a 19.66 average and a 95.93 strike rate in her six T20I matches and featured in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Qualifier.
The gender eligibility standards were modified on Tuesday by ICC. Under new regulations, transgender women who have undergone male puberty have been barred from international women’s cricket.
The regulations state that transgender women will not be allowed to compete regardless of whether or not they have undergone surgery or gender reassignment treatment.
The ICC said it was taking the decision to protect the integrity of international women’s game and the safety of players.