Cricket Australia has transgender-inclusive policies in place!

Cricket Australia, the national cricket governing body, has implemented inclusive policies that will enable transgender and gender diverse individuals to participate in the category’s high-level competitions in line with their gender identity.

Cricket Australia will provide “guidelines for grassroots level cricket [to] assist clubs, players, staffs, coaches and other volunteers [in delivering] a ‘safe, welcoming and inclusive environment, free of harassment and discrimination for gender diverse players.’”

Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said: “Discrimination of any sort has no place in the game and all of Australian Cricket is driven to ensure all cricketers can participate in a harassment-free environment.”

This policy will enable transgender and gender diverse players to play cricket as they see fit, but rules have been put in place to facilitate fairness and fight against potential doping.

Thus:

• Any transgender and gender diverse player will have to apply to the Cricket Australia’s head of integrity. Their trans-identity will remain confidential.
• The head of integrity will convene a panel of experts to review the file of the player.
• Trans and gender diverse players must then “demonstrate... being consistent with their gender identity in other aspects of everyday life.” However, they will not be required to show that they have undergone “any medical assessment, surgery and/or treatment” and will not be obligated to provide proof of their identity with a legal document from a medical or government body.
• They receive a certificate of eligibility if their application is approved and can join the team of their choice.

This procedure may seem lavish, but it has been put in place to combat doping.

Thus, the policy says that FTM trans players above the age of 16 must “establish that the concentration of testosterone in serum has been less than 10 nmol/L1 continuously for a period of no less than 12 months prior to nominating their gender identity.”

It adds that trans players should “consider providing to the expert panel, medical history of their concentration of testosterone in serum levels for the 12-month period at regular intervals.”

Testosterone is used by transgender people during their transition and can also be used to improve the performance of an athlete in a doping process.

For more information on the use of testosterone during the transition, please see Cael’s article, our former trans blogger:

Cricket Australia released a video featuring Erika James, a transgender cricket from the Universities Women’s Cricket Club in Sydney, to accompany its new trans-inclusive policies

Therefore, Cricket Australia claims to be an inclusive sports organization and is keen to allow everyone to play cricket in a safe, respectful and fair environment.

Cricket Australia’s policies are transgender-inclusive!

Inclusive policies have been implemented by Cricket Australia to allow transgender to play cricket based on their gender identity.