ICC launches guidelines for post-pregnancy return: All we know
What's the story
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has launched its 'Return to Play Post-Pregnancy Guidelines' for female cricketers. This comprehensive framework is designed to assist member boards in supporting players through their pregnancy, childbirth, and return to elite cricket. The move comes as women's cricket continues to professionalize with more players starting families during their careers. Here are further details.
Framework details
Guidelines developed by ICC Medical Advisory Committee
The guidelines, developed by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee and led by Australia's women's team doctor Dr. Philippa Inge, are aimed at helping member boards develop their own pregnancy and return-to-play policies. The framework emphasizes player welfare while allowing flexibility according to local legislation. A key component of the guidelines is a six-stage return-to-play model: Ready, Review, Restore, Recondition, Return, and Refine.
Support structure
Case manager, multidisciplinary support team recommended
Among the key recommendations in the guidelines is the appointment of a dedicated case manager, usually a doctor or physiotherapist. This person would be the main point of contact throughout a player's pregnancy and return-to-play journey. The document also recommends regular player management meetings at key stages, and calls for a multidisciplinary support team comprising medical staff, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, psychologists, dieticians, coaches, and family support networks.
Autonomy assured
Who should be informed about pregnancy?
The guidelines stress that the decision to announce a pregnancy should be entirely up to the player and that boards shouldn't require pregnancy testing. While exercise during pregnancy is encouraged, training and competition decisions should be individualized in consultation with medical professionals. The document recommends players stop competing after the first trimester but stresses these decisions must involve the player, her doctors, and cricket medical staff, and that there is no fixed gestational age at which participation must end.
Career continuity
Motherhood doesn't have to mean end of career
Dr. Inge said the goal was to show that motherhood doesn't have to mean the end of a cricket career. "The ICC's Return to Play Post-Pregnancy Guidelines are designed to show players that having a baby doesn't need to be the end of their career," she said. West Indies spinner Afy Fletcher, who returned to international cricket after giving birth in 2021, welcomed the move, saying, "It gives you a chance to have your family and then return."