New Delhi: In a historic first, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the women’s ODI World Cup will feature an all-female Emirates ICC Panel of Match Officials. This will be for the first time in the history of the women’s ODI World Cup that an all-female panel will feature in the marquee event.
In the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the two most recent ICC women’s T20 World Cups, an all-female match officials group officiated but it has never been a part of the ODI leg of the World Cup. This is considered to be nothing short of a historic step taken by ICC chairman Jay Shah and other members of the core group.
Group of 14 umpires to appear at 3rd WC
The global governing body on Thursday announced that a group of 14 umpires including the trio of Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams and Sue Redfern would be appearing at their third women’s World Cup while Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton will be at their second World Cup after they functioned as the officiating umpires when Australia won their unprecedented seventh title back in 2022.
Meanwhile, the match referee panel of four includes Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira who are expected to bring varying levels of experience in the role to the 13th edition of the women’s World Cup. The showpiece event will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30.
On the occasion, ICC Chairman Shah said that he believes the all-female panel is an historic moment for women’s cricket and thinks it will help lead to many more success stories around the world in the future.
‘This marks a defining moment in the journey of women’s cricket, one that we hope will pave the way for many more trailblazing stories across all facets of the sport. The inclusion of an all-women panel of match officials is not only a major milestone but also a powerful reflection of the ICC’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity across cricket,’ he said.
Match Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira
Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Candace la Borde, Kim Cotton, Sarah Dambanevana, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaste, Janani N, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Sue Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Gayathri Venugopalan, Jacqueline Williams