Bengali 
English 
On the one hand, fans are buzzing over the ICC’s Women’s World Cup 2025 edition since the tournament is approaching quite fast. While on the other side the spotlight is diverted not only towards the players but also the governing body’s of ICC for their double stance over gender. To know it further, let us look at the two significant steps taken by ICC in the recent years, – the push for all-female umpiring panels and a revised transgender eligibility. Under gender fairness ICC has taken decisions that are completely in contrast to each other.
Legacy of Female Umpiring in ICC
The all-female umpiring initiative has been celebrated, since the past events were flashing due to the legacies like G.S.Lakshmi, Sue Redfern and Vrinda Rathi. These appointments offered a representation and an encouragement to the gender diversity in cricket leadership. And it is an impactful inspiration to the new gen female officials across the countries like Bangladesh.
Gender Equality??!
But, a major contrast overshadows the above mentioned milestones achieved togetherly by the female umpires and ICC. That’s because the new transgender policy of ICC which was announced in the year 2023, states that the individuals who identified themselves as transgender women after undergoing the male puberty will be banned from playing in the women’s international cricket. This still continues the simmering arguments among the cricket experts who oppose this decision of ICC.
ICC clarified that this initiative has been done out of concern for fairness and the physical integrity of the sport as a rationale one. Yet people who oppose this claim that it undermines the spirit of inclusivity and excludes the athlete based on identity. They also quote that ICC successfully promotes gender progress by limiting the opportunities under the category of gender. It reveals such complexities in the sports bodies due to their efforts to balance inclusion with competitive integrity.
Sadly only one transgender woman ‘Danielle McGahey’ has played in the international ICC tournament T20 WC representing Canada for the first time but she will also be not participating any further since the ban of ICC. True progress of a sport among the individuals demands policies that are inclusive in spirit and not just being fair in the competition. It is expected that in the future, women’s cricket must embrace equality without any exclusionary lines derived by the governing authorities.
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