Outcry from some UK parents over adult trans cricketer competing in club cricket against young girls

A group of parents in the United Kingdom expressed their concern this week over an adult transgender cricketer being allowed to play club cricket against their daughters as young as 12 years old, saying the player’s strength is a danger to their children.

The adult woman was allowed to play in club matches against female players as young as 12 years old, alarming coaches and parents due to the mismatched physical ability of the woman compared to their children. One coach said in a Telegraph report that the player had inadvertently injured other players after hitting the ball “harder than any other I have seen in the league.”

According to the Telegraph, parents have described the player’s inclusion in the club league as “unacceptable, uncomfortable and dangerous,” and “inappropriate.” The player’s exact age and name have not been revealed publicly. Another parent expressed concern that playing against an adult who has been through male puberty would cause the girls to quit playing altogether “because they become so frightened about having to face bowling and fielding of that strength and force.”

The current England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) rules state that “trans women may compete in any female-only competition, league or match and should be accepted in the gender in which they present” but does not have age specifications.