Marizanne Kapp hits out at Cricket Australia over Anaya Bangar clearance

South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to clear transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar for community cricket. Bangar can compete in Premier Cricket until March 2027 and could pursue elite cricket subject to additional eligibility requirements

New Delhi: South Africa’s seam-bowling all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has voiced strong opposition to Cricket Australia’s decision to clear transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar to compete in the country’s community cricket circuit and potentially pursue a pathway to featuring in the elite Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

Marizanne has represented South Africa in four Tests, 162 ODIs and 126 T20Is so far, and expressed her displeasure on her Instagram account. Sharing a screenshot of a news article detailing the clearance granted to Anaya, Marizanne wrote, “Absolutely ridiculous, this should NOT be allowed!” while tagging the official handle of the WBBL.

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The development comes after Anaya, the child of former India cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar, confirmed receiving formal communication from Cricket Australia regarding her participation status in community cricket.

Anaya, who underwent gender-affirming surgery in Thailand earlier this year, expressed relief at being able to return to competitive cricket and revealed she was in the process of finding a club in Australia to resume playing.

“It is a great day for me, especially after knowing that I can play cricket. There was a stage when I thought I would never play cricket again, but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance,” Anaya had stated in a press conference in Mumbai.

Having initially approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) without receiving a formal response, Anaya turned to Cricket Australia. In an official response, CA Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge outlined the framework governing her eligibility.

“Until March 2027, you remain eligible to participate in Premier Cricket competitions in any State or Territory of Australia. As Premier Cricket is classified as Community Cricket rather than Elite Cricket under the Policy, your participation in those competitions is not affected by this determination.”

“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,” said Jacqui.

While International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations prohibit transgender women who have gone through male puberty from participating in international women’s fixtures, the BCCI is yet to formulate an official stance on domestic participation.

Before transforming from a man to a woman, Anaya had played age-group cricket for Mumbai alongside Test batter Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer Khan and even played club cricket in England.