New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will, for the first time in history, feature an all-women panel of umpires and match referees.
While previous tournaments such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the last two ICC Women’s T20 World Cups had exclusively female officials, this will be the first-ever Women’s World Cup to achieve the milestone.
The lineup includes 14 umpires and four match referees. Among the umpires, Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams, and Sue Redfern will be making their third World Cup appearance. Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton, who officiated during Australia’s record seventh title win in New Zealand in 2022, will feature for the second time.
The referee panel will comprise Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira, all bringing diverse experience to the 13th edition of the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah hailed the move as a “defining moment” in women’s cricket. “This initiative is more than symbolic. It creates visibility, inspires role models, and reinforces the message that leadership in cricket has no gender. We believe this step will inspire more women globally to take up officiating and contribute to the growth of the game,” Shah said.
