Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar and a trans woman, has chastised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for being a performative ally and disingenuous towards the transgender population. She pointed out that the ECB displayed pride-themed stumps for the first three days of the ongoing India-England Test at Headingley before removing them on Day 4.
Earlier this year, the ECB implemented a contentious regulation that barred transgender women from competing at all levels of women’s and girls’ cricket. The board announced that only persons assigned female at birth would be allowed to compete in women’s cricket, citing a recent UK Supreme Court verdict and the principle of fair competition. Under this rule, transgender women and girls can only compete in mixed or open cricket formats.
While the ECB has stated that it is collaborating with Recreational Cricket Boards to assist anyone affected by this change, Anaya took to Instagram to criticise the ECB for hypocrisy. Observing the deployment of rainbow-themed pride flags on the stumps for the first three days of the Test match.
“The words from the ECB’s Rainbow Laces campaign are: ‘Creating safe spaces for conversation. demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity. Promoting open dialogue and involving LGBTQ+ supporters.’
But here’s the reality: On Day 2 of the India versus England Test Match, there were Pride flags on the stumps, as the UK Supreme Court pulled back trans women’s rights under the Equality Act. The ECB prohibited trans women from participating in both elite and professional cricket. So, who exactly is this inclusivity intended for? You can’t celebrate Pride while excluding trans women from the sport. This isn’t inclusion. It’s a performative allyship. “And the hypocrisy is too obvious to ignore,” she remarked on Instagram.
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Anaya Bangar wishes to get back to competitive cricket
The 24-year-old began her transition in 2021 and has since become an advocate for trans rights in sports. She has aspirations of playing competitive cricket again and recently called on both the BCCI and ICC to revisit their policies toward trans athletes.
“It began as me wanting to play again, but the more I spoke up, the more I realised that my journey is tied to so many who feel invisible in Indian sport. My personal dream and public advocacy have become the same thing now. Walking back onto the field, this time as Anaya, won’t just be about playing but reclaiming the right to belong, compete, and dream with dignity,” she wrote.