‘This isn’t the end of our innings,’ says Anaya Bangar on ECB’s ban on trans women

Anaya Bangar has hit out at the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to ban transgender women from competing in women's events.

"As someone who's given her heart to this game, this feels personal. I'm not just a trans girl. I'm a cricketer," posted Anaya, trans daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar.

ECB announced the other day that "only those whose biological sex is female" will be allowed to participate in the women's and girls' events. The English Football Association also announced a similar policy change. The decisions was influenced by a UK Supreme Court ruling in April that said the actual gender was defined by the person's biological sex.

"I've faced discrimination, harassment and invisibility within this very sport. And now, institutions are drawing lines that erase our existence entirely," Anaya said.

Anaya went by the name Aryan before deciding to undergo hormone therapy. She played for Mumbai U-16 and Pondicherry U-19, playing alongside popular players Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. She discontinued cricket and moved to the UK to do a Masters programme.

Anaya recently opened up about her struggles since gathering the courage to embrace her transgender sexuality. She said the ECB's policy change wasn't just a rule. "It's a message that says, no matter your dedication, talent, discipline or years of transition, you still might not be seen as enough.

"To the trans girls and women watching this, don't let anyone define your worth or your womanhood. They might control the pitch, but they will never control our spirit. This isn't the end of our innings," Anaya posted.