On September 4th in Los Angeles, Danielle McGahey is poised to make history as the first transgender cricketer to participate in an official international match.
McGahey has secured a spot on Canada’s team for a qualifier leading to the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
At 29, the opening batter has met all the International Cricket Council (ICC) qualifications for male-to-female transgender athletes in advance of the Los Angeles event, which runs from September 4-11.
Despite other sports like athletics, cycling, swimming, and rugby disallowing transgender women in elite women’s competitions, McGahey will be swinging her bat.
A representative from the Women’s Rights Network (WRN), a group aiming to “uphold the sex-based rights of women,” claimed that transgender women have an “unfair advantage” over cisgender women and criticized the ICC’s policies as “unjust and perilous.”
In February 2020, McGahey relocated from Australia to Canada, socially transitioned in November of that same year, and began medical transitioning in May 2021.
Speaking to Sport News Center, McGahey expressed deep pride: “It’s an incredible honor. I never thought I would have this chance to represent my community.”
ICC’s Position on Transgender Women
The ICC guidelines, last updated in 2021, specify that trans women who want to play international women’s cricket must maintain a testosterone level below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 continuous months. They must also furnish a written declaration confirming their gender identity as female.
To meet these requirements, McGahey has undergone monthly blood tests for over two years and has submitted extensive medical data to the ICC.
Jane Sullivan of WRN believes sporting events should remain segregated based on sex at birth. She criticized the ICC for their eligibility requirements, citing studies showing male puberty grants an insurmountable advantage in sports performance.
Yet, in line with Cricket Canada’s domestic policies, McGahey has already been participating based on self-identified gender, earning her the attention of national selectors. She represented Canada in international T20 matches at the South American Championships in October 2022.
McGahey’s spot on Canada’s squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup qualifier was made official on August 27. Both the ICC and Cricket Canada confirmed that she met the eligibility criteria.
Just Another Player on the Field
McGahey is set to play against Brazil in the initial match of the four-team ICC Americas Qualifying tournament, also featuring the USA and Argentina. Brazil’s team has already faced McGahey, and their captain, Roberta Moretti Avery, assures that she will be “treated like any other player.”
Gemma Witcomb, an academic specialist on gender identity in sports, notes that fairness is not solely determined by physiological factors. Historical investment in men’s cricket, she suggests, plays a significant role in shaping skills and opportunities for all athletes.
McGahey, originally from Australia, had experience playing men’s club cricket prior to her transition. Despite the initial nerve-wracking moments, she has not faced any hostility since joining women’s cricket.
The Changing Landscape of Sport
Canada, where one in every 300 people above the age of 15 identifies as transgender or non-binary, recently celebrated its first transgender athlete in a Fifa World Cup. The country’s approach contrasts with decisions made by governing bodies in other sports that have enacted bans on transgender women.
The ICC’s policy aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) stance that transgender athletes do not necessarily have an unfair advantage. However, Tommy Lundberg, a researcher, suggests that cricket must choose between fairness and inclusion, as it cannot achieve both simultaneously.
WRN argues that the ICC’s policy could dissuade parents from encouraging their daughters to participate in cricket. They warn that this could erode the grassroots foundation of the sport, ultimately impacting national teams.
In this intricate dialogue between fairness, safety, and inclusion, Danielle McGahey stands as a pioneering figure. Her journey epitomizes the larger debates around transgender athletes and their place in the world of competitive sports.
