ICC announcement for Women’s T20 WC, panel of women match officials made for all matches
Dubai. India’s trio of GS Lakshmi, Vrinda Rathi and Janani Narayanan are part of the all-women match officials’ panel (committee) for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday. This is the first time that the ICC has announced an all-female panel of match officials for a World Cup. There are three match referees and 10 umpires in this committee. It is a historic moment for the ICC to announce the names of the panel of 13 women.
It is part of the ICC’s strategic ambition to advance the participation and visibility of women in cricket. There are seven such names in this committee who will be in the role of match officials in the World Cup for the first time. The announcement comes after a steady increase in the number of women officials joining global tournaments. India’s Rathi and Janani became the first woman umpire to officiate in the prestigious Ranji Trophy earlier this month. Both of them will officiate in a T20 World Cup for the first time.
ICC General Manager of Cricket, Wasim Khan said: “Women’s cricket has grown exponentially in recent years and as partners we are looking forward to creating ways to ensure more women have the opportunity to compete at the highest level.” He said that this announcement reflects our intention. This is the beginning of our new journey where men and women will get equal opportunities in our sport. We are committed to continuing to support our women match officials and provide them with opportunities to showcase their talents on the global stage.
Last year Women’s World Cup and T20 World Cup 2020 had eight women match officials. Nine women match officials are involved in the ongoing ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. Claire Polosak is one of the most experienced female umpires. She has officiated in every Women’s World Cup (T20 and ODI) since 2016. The 34-year-old Australian umpire will officiate in her fourth T20 World Cup, while England’s Sue Redfearn, West Indies’ Jacqueline Williams and New Zealand’s Kim Cotton will join as match officials for the third time in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Anna Harris of England is the youngest umpire in this list. She will make her debut in a major ICC tournament at the age of just 24.
Match officials of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: Match referees: GS Lakshmi (India), Shandre Fritz (SA), Mitchell Pereira (Sri Lanka) Umpires: Sue Redfearn (England), Eloise Sheridan (Aus), Claire Polosak (Aus) , Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), Anna Harris (England), Vrinda Rathi (India), N Janani (India), Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka).
