England Cricket Board Bans Transgender Players Matches With Immediate Effect

The England Cricket Board has banned transgender players from playing in women's and girls' matches with immediate effect. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has banned transgender women from playing women's cricket at all levels with immediate effect. The move follows a ruling by the UK Supreme Court on April 16. It mirrors a decision by the Football Association yesterday, Thursday. The ECB banned transgender women from playing at elite level for at least a year, with its revised rules affecting grassroots and lower league teams.

The ECB statement said, "With immediate effect, only those who are biologically female will be eligible to play in women's cricket and girls' cricket matches. Transgender women and girls can continue to play in open or mixed cricket."

"We acknowledge that this decision will have a significant impact on transgender women and girls. We will work with recreational cricket boards to support those affected by this change to our rules," the ECB said.