Not India! Anaya Bangar Cleared To Play Cricket In Another Country

Anaya Bangar [Source: Instagram]

Anaya Bangar has been cleared to play cricket. However, the former Mumbai Under-19 cricketer has received this newfound opportunity outside the country.

As confirmed by Anaya herself, she has received the clearance to play female community cricket in Australia. While this may not yet be professional, elite-level cricket, it marks an important step forward in her journey and brings her one step closer to competing at a higher level.

It is worth noting that Anaya has been away from the game for a while, considering she has been navigating her transition and is battling eligibility criteria. 

Anaya Bangar to play cricket in Australia

Anaya Bangar, daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has been cleared to play female community cricket in Australia. 

While speaking with the Indian Express on Tuesday, August 25, Anaya expressed her gratitude towards Cricket Australia, and stated that she had lost all hope of returning to the game at one stage. 

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She said “It is a great day for me especially after knowing the fact that I can play cricket. There was a stage where I thought I would never play cricket again but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance.”

It is worth noting that earlier this year, Anaya Bangar underwent a gender-affirming surgery (vaginoplasty). As per her own statement back in February, the surgery was performed at a clinic in Thailand and it will take at least six months for her to be able to play cricket again. 

Anaya Bangar takes a step closer to a potential BBL debut

With her latest signing, Anaya has taken a step closer to playing Women’s BBL cricket in Australia. However, the road to playing at the elite level will not be easy, with Anaya still having to navigate the eligibility criteria and prove herself in competitive cricket.

For instance, she will be required to fulfil testosterone-related eligibility criteria before entertaining thoughts of playing BBL or any other elite-level cricket, considering the International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned transgender players from playing women’s cricket if they have gone through male puberty. 

Even Cricket Australia’s ‘Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket’ policy requires a player’s serum testosterone to be below 10 nmol/L (nanomoles per litre) for a period of no less than 12 months to be eligible. 

In a letter sent to Anaya Bangar, Cricket Australia’s Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge said “Your eligibility for Elite Cricket from that date (March 2027) is conditional upon you providing a blood test upon your arrival in Australia confirming that your serum testosterone concentration remains below 10 nmol/L and that you continue to satisfy the Policy’s eligibility requirements.”

Partridge also added that Anaya is eligible to participate in any community cricket competitions in any state or territory of Australia until March next year. 

In a bid to become eligible to top-level cricketer, she will be required to go through a testosterone assessment.

Why is Anaya Bangar not playing in India?

It is worth noting that the BCCI is yet to decide the fate of transgender cricketers in the country, considering the ICC has banned transgender players from playing women’s cricket.

Moreover, Anaya herself said that when she published her testing report, the BCCI did not respond while Cricket Australia went through her entire medical history. She added that Cricket Australia gave her the clearance to play in terms of “fairness and inclusivity”.

Interestingly, Anaya Bangar has previously played age-group cricket for Mumbai alongside the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.

As of now, she is still recovering from her gender affirming surgery that took place earlier this year.

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