‘Cricketers Sent Me Nudes…’ Anaya Bangar Reveals Harassment In Cricket Circuit
Anaya Bangar (formerly Aryan Bangar), the daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, opened up on her journey of gender transformation last year following hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and gender-affirming surgery. In an interview given to Lallantop, Anaya also made a shocking revelation, alleging that multiple cricketers harassed her by sending unsolicited nude images.
Anaya, who has openly shared her gender transition journey following HRT, spoke about the difficulties she has encountered, even within the cricket community.
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"There has been support and there have been some harassment as well...There have been a few cricketers who randomly sent me nude pictures of them," Anaya told Lallantop.
Cricket World Is Filled With Toxic Masculinity: Anaya Bangar
Anaya, talking about the emotional strain of concealing her true gender identity while playing cricket under the name Aryan, revealed that she had to suppress her real self to avoid complications. Anaya also revealed that she shared the field with several current India players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.
"I played with some well known cricketers now like Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal. I had to maintain secrecy about myself because dad is a well known figure. Cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity," Anaya said.
Anaya also alleged that the harassment extended beyond online abuse—she also endured verbal harassment, including from senior and veteran cricketers.
"The person used to give gaalis in front of everybody. The same person then used to come and sit beside me and ask for my photos. There was another instance, when I was in India, I told a puraane (veteran) cricketer about my situation. He told me let's go in the car, I want to sleep with you," she added.
Currently living in the United Kingdom, Anaya represented Mumbai’s Islam Gymkhana in local club cricket. The left-handed batter then went on to play for the Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire. Anaya’s cricketing journey suffered a significant setback after the International Cricket Council (ICC) revised its policy on transgender women in the sport. Subsequently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also amended its regulations, barring transgender women from competing in international fixtures and elite domestic women’s cricket in Tiers 1 and 2.
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