South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has strongly criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to offer transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar a pathway back into competitive women’s cricket, calling the development “absolutely ridiculous” and saying it “should not be allowed.”
Kapp’s reaction came after Australian media reported that Cricket Australia had cleared Anaya, the daughter of former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, to return to competitive cricket under its Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy.
Sharing a report on her Instagram stories, Kapp wrote, “Absolutely ridiculous. This should not be allowed.”
Anaya underwent gender-affirming surgery in March this year and has now been given a pathway towards elite women’s cricket in Australia. Under Cricket Australia’s decision, she can play community cricket in any state or territory of Australia until March 2027.
From March 2027, Anaya can become eligible for elite-level women’s cricket if she continues to meet the policy requirements, including the stipulated testosterone threshold.
An expert panel comprising Cricket Australia’s Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge, Integrity Partner and Legal representative Emily Yates, Head of Scheduling, Operations and Domestic Cricket Peter Roach, Anti-Doping Medical Officer Dr Peter Harcourt and Team Doctor Dr Pip Inge considered Anaya’s case before confirming the pathway.
“Under Cricket Australia’s Policy, a player seeking to participate in the female category of Elite Cricket must establish that their serum testosterone concentration has been below 10 nmol/L continuously for a period of no less than 12 months,” Cricket Australia said in an email to Anaya.
The governing body added that, based on the medical information submitted, the requirement would be satisfied in March 2027. Her eligibility from that point will remain conditional on a blood test confirming that her testosterone level remains below 10 nmol/L and that she continues to meet the policy’s requirements.
Anaya said the process was neither “automatic or informal” and that Cricket Australia had considered her medical and surgical history, hormone and testosterone levels, cricketing background, playing footage and scientific and athletic performance work conducted with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport.
She also revealed that her most recent blood test in July recorded total testosterone at 0.6 nanomoles, which she said was within the female reference range reported by the laboratory.
Kapp is the first high-profile international women’s cricketer to publicly oppose Cricket Australia’s decision.
It is worth noting that while Cricket Australia’s domestic framework allows Anaya to pursue this pathway, the International Cricket Council’s current rules do not permit transgender women who have gone through male puberty to compete in international women’s cricket.
