The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday said the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup would feature an all-female panel of umpires and match referees for the first time in the 50-over tournament’s history.
“While three recent events — the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the two most recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cups — have featured all-female match official panels, this is the first time in the history of the Women’s World Cup the feat will be achieved,” the ICC said a statement.
The 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup is set to be held in India and Sri Lanka from September 30.
The tournament would be overseen by a group of 14 umpires, including Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams, Sue Redfern, Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton.
The ICC statement mentioned that Polosak, Williams and Redfern “will be appearing at their third Women’s World Cup” this year while Agenbag and Cotton “will be at their second World Cup”.
The all-female panel of match officials for the World Cup also includes four match referees, namely Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira, who “will all bring varying levels of experience in the role” to the tournament.
The statement by the global governing body for cricket further stated that chairperson Jay Shah “believes the all-female panel is a historic moment for women’s cricket and thinks it will help lead to many more success stories around the world in the future”.
It quoted him as saying: “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 further said, “This development goes beyond symbolic value. It is about visibility, opportunity, and the creation of meaningful role models who can inspire future generations. By highlighting excellence in officiating on the global stage, we aim to spark aspiration and reinforce that leadership and impact in cricket know no gender.
“We are honoured to recognise a new chapter in the growth of the women’s game. We believe the influence of this initiative will resonate far beyond this tournament, motivating more women worldwide to pursue officiating careers and helping redefine what’s possible within the game.”
Earlier this month, the ICC also announced a staggering increase in the prize money for the Women’s World Cup.
“The overall prize money at the eight-team marquee tournament totals $13.88 million — a monumental rise of 297 per cent from $3.5m at the last edition held in New Zealand in 2022,” ICC said in its announcement.
