Historic decision: ICC announces all-female match officials panel for Women's World Cup

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday confirmed that the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will, for the first time in history, feature an all-female panel of umpires and match officials.

While all-women officiating teams have been deployed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and at the two most recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, this will mark the first instance at a Women’s World Cup.

The panel consists of 14 umpires and four match referees. Seasoned officials Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams and Sue Redfern will stand in their third Women’s World Cup, while Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton return for their second, having officiated during Australia’s seventh title win in New Zealand in 2022.

The referee panel comprises Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi and Michell Pereira, each bringing varied experience to the 13th edition of the tournament, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from September 30.

"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.

"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," he added.

"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," he concluded.

Panel of Match Officials: 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. (ANI)