In a first, the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, starting September 30, will feature an all-female panel of match officials, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday.
Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the tournament will have a line-up comprising four match referees and 14 umpires representing nine countries. The referees’ panel includes Trudy Anderson (New Zealand), Shandre Fritz (South Africa), GS Lakshmi (India) and Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka).
The umpires are Sue Redfern (England), Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan (Australia), Candace la Borde and Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Sarah Dambanevana (Zimbabwe), Shathira Jakir Jesy (Bangladesh), Kerrin Klaaste and Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), N Janani, Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan (India), and Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka).
Among them, Polosak, Williams and Redfern will be officiating in their third Women’s ODI World Cup, while Agenbag and Cotton return for their second. The panel also marks the largest-ever female representation in match officiating at an ICC event, surpassing the 13 officials at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
While recent events such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the last two Women’s T20 World Cups featured all-female officiating panels, this is the first time the precedent has been set in an ODI World Cup.
“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,” ICC president Jay Shah said in a statement.
“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,” Shah further said.
The 13th women’s ODI World Cup begins with hosts India and Sri Lanka facing off on September 30 in Guwahati. Defending champions Australia will take on New Zealand on October 1. Each team will play the other seven teams once with the top four moving into the semi-finals.
The matches will be played in Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Navi Mumbai and Colombo with the final scheduled for November 2.