Transgender cricketer who was BANNED from international sport announces surprise career move

Transgender cricketer Danielle McGahey has put herself forward for the Women’s Big Bash League draft next weekend. 

McGahey, 30, made history in 2023 after becoming the first transgender person to play international women’s cricket when she represented Canada in six Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers in Los Angeles.

But the Brisbane-born cricketer’s international career was halted after the ICC introduced a ban prohibiting players who had gone through any form of male puberty from playing women’s international cricket.

The 30-year-old was born male and transitioned medically three years ago. 

Cricket Australia, however, has not followed the international governing body’s guidance on the subject, meaning McGahey and other transgender women are allowed to play in senior women’s domestic competitions.

The Women’s Big Bash League falls under Cricket Australia’s remit, so McGahey – who has a batting average of 19.66 at international level – is eligible to play in the T20 bonanza. 

‘With the ICC decision to ban trans women from international level, it was really interesting to see the response of a lot of franchise leagues,’ McGahey told News Corp.  

‘Australia was one of them that came out and said, ‘No, we believe that trans women should be playing in women’s cricket and we would welcome a trans woman in the WBBL’.

The transgender cricketer was banned from international cricket by the ICC last year

‘At that stage, did I think about nominating? No, not really. Last year was a rollercoaster of emotions, personal attacks and I spent a lot of time just kind of recovering.

‘Then I really delved back into cricket this year with Cricket Brazil and kind of got to the point where I was like, ‘You know what, if Cricket Australia is cool with it, then I want to make sure that people know that cricket is still a safe space for queer and transgender people’.

McGahey is viewed as an outside chance of being drafted, but insists that her main aim is not selection.  

‘Whether or not I get selected from my nomination is not really relevant for the bigger picture.

‘It’s more about seeing that cricket still is a safe space and people should be able to enjoy cricket, no matter where they come from, who they are, anything like that.’

McGahey revealed that the international ban hurt her badly. 

‘When I was playing in Los Angeles, there was self-harm, there were a lot of dangerous thoughts going on because of the commentary and the attention and everything that I was getting.

She says that selection in the competition is not her primary objective

‘It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, she’s making her debut’. It was hurtful and harmful and intentional.

‘And after September, I took a few months off and basically just isolated in Canada for a little bit.

‘Thankfully, I have my wonderful wife who supported me through everything.

‘And honestly, without her I wouldn’t be where I am today in terms of mentally being able to put my name back in the ring because it’s kind of what I’m doing with my nomination.

‘I’m saying that I haven’t gone away, I’m still playing and I still want to play it at the highest level.’