Danielle McGahey satisfies ICC eligibility criteria and set to play for Canada in Women's T20 World Cup qualifying tournament in September; McGahey, 29, has played for her country before but those matches were not recognised as full internationals
Thursday 31 August 2023 14:40, UK
Danielle McGahey could become the first transgender cricketer to take part in an official international match after being named in Canada's squad for a Women's T20 World Cup qualifying tournament.
McGahey has been picked for the four-team Americas qualifier in September at which Canada will face Brazil, Argentina and USA, with the winners advancing to the global qualifier for the 2024 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
Transgender people have been banned from taking part in elite women's competitions in other sports such as swimming, cycling, athletics, rowing, rugby league and rugby union.
However, batter McGahey, 29. satisfies all of the eligibility criteria the International Cricket Council (ICC) has set for male-to-female transgender players.
The ICC's player eligibility regulations became effective in 2018 and were amended in 2021 to say that a player must "provide a written and signed declaration, in a form satisfactory to the Designated Medical Officer, that her gender identity is female".
The regulations also stipulate that the "the concentration of testosterone in her serum has been less than 5 nmol/L1 continuously for a period of at least 12 months, and that she is ready, willing and able to continue to keep it below that level for so long as she continues to compete in the female category of competition".
McGahey previously played in four international T20 matches in October 2022 at the South American Championships, where Canada were invited along to take part as guests.
Her strike rate throughout the tournament did not dip below 100, with her most notable innings when she struck 73 from 46 balls against Brazil, hitting nine fours and three sixes.
As those matches did not hold official T20 international status, McGahey was able to compete as a transgender woman without having to fulfil ICC criteria.
If Canada come through the regional qualifying tournament, they will face Ireland, Sri Lanka and seven other teams in the global qualifier next year.
The top two teams at the end of the global qualifier will advance to the World Cup proper in September and October 2024.
