Martina Navratilova hits back at 'mansplainer' for opposing ICC’s transgender ban in women’s international cricket

Martina Navratilova has voiced her approval of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) recent decision to bar transgender athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in women's cricket matches.

The ICC announced on Tuesday (21 November) that it had adopted a new gender eligibility regulation, following a scientific review process, to "protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players".

The updated regulations mandate that transgender athletes who have experienced male puberty are not permitted to participate in women's international cricket, regardless of any gender-affirming treatments they may have received.

The regulation impacts players such as Danielle McGahey, a 29-year-old Canadian batter, who made history as the first transgender cricketer to participate in an official international game in September 2023. McGahey, who was born in Australia, relocated to Canada in 2020 and completed a male-to-female medical transition in 2021.

The ICC’s decision has sparked a debate on social media, with some people applauding it as a fair and necessary measure to ensure a level playing field for women, and others condemning it as a discriminatory and harmful move that excludes and stigmatizes transgender athletes. One of the vocal critics of the policy was an associate producer at Sky Sports, who tweeted his disapproval.

The tweet caught the attention of Navratilova, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. However, she has also been a controversial figure for her views on transgender athletes in women’s sports. She shared the tweet and slammed the user for "mansplaining".

"Another mansplainer… ffs…" Martina Navratilova wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

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Martina Navratilova criticizes popular science magazine for dismissing sex-based differences in sports

Martina Navratilova at the 2023 WTA Finals

Martina Navratilova recently denounced the science magazine 'Scientific American' for publishing an article that denied the existence of biological differences between male and female athletes.

The article suggested that the disparity in athletic performance between the sexes stems from social and cultural biases, not biological factors. A quote from the article, which was published online in October this year, stated:

"The inequity between male and female athletes is a result not of inherent biological differences between the sexes but of biases in how they are treated in sports."

The article sparked condemnation from many readers, who accused the magazine of disregarding facts in favor of promoting an agenda. The 18-time Grand Slam champion was among those who criticized the article, expressing her shock at the magazine's stance, calling it "utter nonsense" in a social media post.

"Hey @sciam - how the h*ll can you print this utter nonsense??? I mean how dare you. A name change is needed to Unscientific American," Martina Navratilova wrote on X (formerly Twitter).