Anaya Bangar’s dream of returning to competitive cricket has received a major boost after Cricket Australia cleared the path for her to play women’s community cricket. While Australia has given the trans-athlete an opportunity to resume the sport she loves, Bangar has expressed disappointment over the lack of response she received after approaching the BCCI about continuing her cricketing journey in India.
The 25-year-old, who began her transition in 2022 and underwent gender-affirming surgery in March this year, had hoped the Indian cricket board would provide clarity on her eligibility. Instead, she said she received no response, while Cricket Australia allowed her to participate at the community level, offering a potential pathway towards elite cricket subject to its eligibility requirements.
“…it is very disappointing and heartbreaking that I was served with silence,” Anaya said in an interview with PTI.
“I knew that transitioning was going to make me steer away from cricket…I hope that the BCCI is open to this and tries to form policies surrounding this topic, since I’m the first case in India.
“I would be happy to be a part of the team and provide my insights and gatherings throughout my whole journey and what would work best for our country and women’s sport in the future,”
Cricket Australia’s transgender and gender-diverse guidelines provide a framework for participation in community cricket. Bangar has been allowed to compete at the community level, while any move into elite cricket remains subject to the governing body’s eligibility requirements.
The opportunity does not guarantee Bangar a place in a professional team or the Women’s Big Bash League, but it has restored a pathway to competitive cricket after she feared her transition had brought her playing career to an end.
A JOURNEY SHE FOUND ‘VERY ISOLATING’
Anaya said she has experienced a roller-coaster ride since beginning her transition, with the experience of being a transgender athlete making the journey particularly challenging.
“…when you’re transitioning, and when you’re a trans-athlete, during this political climate in this world, it can get very isolating. You feel very lonely, you feel like there’s no one who really understands out there,” she said.
“Everyone out there is trying to give you solutions, when you know that your own case is the right one. You know what is happening with you is injustice. So, during all of this, just the fact of being with myself, solitude has helped me a lot throughout all this,”
Bangar also revealed that she had almost given up on the possibility of playing cricket again after starting her transition. She said she had largely dealt with the emotional side of the journey herself, while remaining grateful to her family for providing the practical support she needed.
Anaya said she had been in “survival mode” for a long time and was only now finding the space to process everything she had experienced.
Her immediate focus is to play club cricket in Australia, perform well and potentially earn a chance to be picked for the Women’s Big Bash League. For now, she wants to take things one step at a time, with securing a place to play being the biggest hurdle already overcome.
– Ends
