Current rules allow anyone self-identifying as female to play women's cricket

Eight-team competition based on The Hundred has been planned for 2020

ICC regulations on testosterone limits only apply to the international game

The ECB are reviewing their eligibility policy for transgender cricketers ahead of the formation of a new professional women's league next year.

The rules currently allow anyone identifying as female to play women's cricket in this country with the exception of the England team.

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But the growth of the professional women's game in this country, with an eight-team competition based on The Hundred planned for 2020, has forced them to review the rules when the ICC regulations on testosterone limits only apply to the international game.

Clare Connor, England women's cricket director, has begun a review of transgender policy

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Clare Connor, managing director of women's cricket at the ECB, said: 'We are reviewing our policy at the moment. Cricket Australia released theirs this week and it is pretty much in line with the ICC's policy, which is a medically driven policy.

'The ECB's currently isn't a medically driven policy. It's a more socially inclusive policy and we will be reviewing that over the coming months.

'Cricket Australia has a specific policy for elite cricketers and a different policy for community cricketers. At the moment we don't and I think we will be looking at that.'

In Australia the Cricket Australia board has approved a rule change that means elite female cricketers will be required to have blood testosterone levels maintained below 10 nano-moles per litre (nmol/L) for a year, in line with the ICC's gender recognition policy.

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ICC regulations on testosterone limits only apply to the international game

And that means transgender players, or indeed female cricketers with differences of sex development (DSD), could be forced to take testosterone-reducing medication to continue playing.

At the moment all England players in this country have to follow ICC rules. Elite players in the domestic game follow ECB social model, which also applies to the recreational game.

In a statement the ECB said: 'The ECB is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion in cricket.

'Across recreational and domestic cricket managed by ECB, the eligibility of players is based on one's own self-identified gender, with no medical requirement.

'The eligibility of players to represent their country at international level is determined by ICC rules; the question pertaining to transgender people's eligibility is covered by the 2018 ICC Player Eligibility Regulations.

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'Upon meeting the requirements of the 2018 ICC Player Eligibility Regulations, transgender women would be eligible to represent their country at international level.'