Canadian Cricketer Retires After ICC Bans Transgender Cricketers   

Following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ban on transgender cricketers on Tuesday, Canadian cricketer Daniele McGahey announced her retirement from international cricket.

In 2023, 29-year-old McGahey became the first transgender player to feature in international cricket. She expressed her disappointment with the global cricket body’s ruling against transgenders.

In a social media post, Daniele McGahey said, “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. As quickly as it begun, it must now end. Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me in my journey, from my all of my teammates, all of the opposition, the cricketing community, and my sponsor.”

The ICC has approved ‘new gender eligibility regulations’ according to which “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”.

McGahey became the first transgender cricketer to play international cricket in October when she played for Canada in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 qualifer.