Anaya Bangar's hopes of returning to competitive cricket have been given a boost after Cricket Australia cleared the way for her to play women's community cricket. The call gives the transgender athlete a chance to get back in the sport she loves and maybe even pursue elite-grade cricket, subject to Australia's eligibility requirements.

However, she is disappointed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) responded to her approach to the Indian cricket board asking for clarification on her eligibility to continue playing in the country.

Anaya Bangar disappointed by BCCI's silence

The 25-year-old had started her transition in 2022 and had undergone gender-affirming surgery this March. Anaya Bangar had turned to the BCCI for support, wanting them to guide her on her path forward as a cricketer, but it seems that the BCCI didn't have answers of its own.

“…it is very disappointing and heartbreaking that I was served with silence,” Anaya said in comments to the PTI.

“I knew that transitioning was going to make me steer away from cricket. . . I hope that the BCCI is open to this and tries to formulate policies around this as I am the first of my kind in the country.”

Anaya Bangar added that she would be willing to help in this area, to be part of the conversation when it came to transgender cricket policy and women's sports in the country.

“I would be happy to be a part of the team and share my inputs and findings throughout my journey and what would be the best fit for our country and women's sports in general,” she said.

According to Cricket Australia's transgender and gender-diverse participation guidelines, transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) players can participate in community cricket. Bangar has been cleared to play at this level, but her road to the elite level will continue to be dictated by the guidelines.

The clearance does not guarantee selection for a professional team or a spot in the Women's Big Bash League. However, it has opened up this opportunity for the cricketer, who thought her transition would end her playing career.

A journey that Anaya Bangar described as 'very isolating'

“When you are transitioning and when you're a trans-athlete, in this particular political climate in this world, it can get very isolating. You feel very lonely, you feel like no one actually understands what you're going through,” Anaya said about her journey so far.

“Everybody out there is trying to throw their opinion down your throat when you know in your gut that your own case is the right case. You know what is happening to you, that it's injustice. So, during all of this, just the fact of being with myself, solitude has helped me a lot throughout all this.”

Anaya Bangar said that she had almost given up on playing cricket when she went through with her transition. She had largely had to process everything on her own, though she was thankful for her family's support. The cricketer was in “survival mode” for a very long time, and now she just wants to take things slowly.

For now, Anaya's focus is on playing club cricket in Australia and putting in performances good enough to earn her a spot in the Women's Big Bash League. Now that the most challenging part of her journey has passed, she wants to take it slow and steady.