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Cricket Players‘I still have to earn it’: Anaya Bangar gets Australia nod as trans cricketer sets sights firmly on her WBBL opportunity
Anaya Bangar says Cricket Australia's clearance has revived her career hopes, but stresses she must still train, perform and earn a future WBBL opportunity.
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Anaya Bangar has described Cricket Australia’s decision to clear her pathway back into elite women’s cricket as an “incredibly emotional” moment, saying there was a time when she genuinely believed her cricket career was over following her transition. Bangar, whose eligibility determination for elite women’s cricket in Australia is set to take effect from March 2027, said the clearance gives her the possibility of pursuing a place in the Women’s Big Bash League. She stressed, however, that eligibility does not amount to a WBBL contract.
In an exclusive conversation with Bombay Times, Bangar said: “I am now eligible to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia from March 2027 onwards. For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever. Cricket has been such a fundamental part of my identity since childhood, and having to step away from the sport after my transition was one of the hardest things I experienced. So this isn’t simply about being included in a women’s league. It represents the possibility of returning to the sport I deeply love.”
‘I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity’
Bangar underlined that Cricket Australia’s clearance only opens the door. She now has to return to competitive cricket, rebuild her fitness and produce performances strong enough to attract a WBBL franchise. “Cricket Australia has allowed me to pursue elite women’s cricket in Australia. The next challenge is to get myself into the best possible physical and competitive shape and put myself in a position to be considered by a WBBL franchise. I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity,” she said.
Explaining the pathway, Bangar pointed to the WBBL’s overseas-player system. “The WBBL has an overseas-player contracting and draft system, where clubs select from the pool of available international players, like it happens in the IPL or the WPL. So ultimately, I still have to convince a franchise that I can contribute to their team,” she said.
For Bangar, that means returning to competitive cricket in Australia and working on her batting, bowling, fielding and fitness while proving she can perform at the required level. The prospect of eventually facing Indian players would carry additional emotion. “I grew up watching and playing cricket in India, so facing Indian players in an Australian women’s competition would be a very emotional moment for me,” Bangar said.
She also spoke about the uncertainty she faced while hoping for a clearer pathway to continue playing cricket. “When you grow up playing cricket competitively, the idea of potentially never being able to play again is incredibly difficult. But I’ve also learned that I can’t build my future around waiting for somebody else to make a decision,” she said. “I’m grateful that I have a pathway in Australia, and I hope that my journey can contribute to a broader conversation about how sporting bodies can approach transgender participation with both fairness and inclusion,” she added.
Cricket Australia, in its eligibility confirmation to Bangar, said her March 2027 determination would not be affected by amendments to its transgender and gender-diverse player policy. It also confirmed she is eligible to participate in Premier Cricket competitions in any Australian state or territory in the meantime.
