The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 30th, and this edition of the tournament is poised to create history. The ICC has announced that a full panel of female match officials will be involved in this World Cup, a first in the sport's history.
Sports News: The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 is scheduled to begin on September 30th. In a historic move for the tournament, the ICC has revealed that for the first time, only female match officials will form the panel responsible for match operations. While female match officials have been included in previous events like the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the recent two ICC Women's T20 World Cups, this World Cup marks the inaugural occasion where the entire panel will consist exclusively of women.
Panel of Female Match Officials
This year's Women's World Cup will feature a total of 14 umpires and 4 match referees. The panel includes several experienced and distinguished names:
- Umpire Panel (14 members)
- Lauren Agenbag
- Candice LaBorde
- Kim Cotton
- Shathira Jakir Jessy
- Kerrin Cluett
- Jannani Narayan
- Nimali Perera
- Claire Polosak
- Vrinda Rathi
- Sue Redfern
- Eloise Sheridan
- Gayathri Venugopalan
- Jacqueline Williams
- Match Referee Panel (4 members)
- Trudy Anderson
- Shandre Fritz
- GS Lakshmi
- Michelle Pereira
Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams, and Sue Redfern will be participating in their third Women's World Cup. Meanwhile, Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton will officiate in their second World Cup. It is noteworthy that these women played a significant role during Australia's seventh title win in New Zealand in 2022.
Reaction from ICC President Jay Shah
Expressing his delight at this historic announcement, ICC President Jay Shah stated, "This is a watershed moment in the journey of women's cricket. The formation of an all-female panel of match officials is not just a significant achievement, but also a powerful symbol of the ICC's commitment to promoting gender equality in cricket."
He further added that the objective of this initiative is to create visibility, opportunity, and meaningful role models that can inspire future generations. "By highlighting the excellence of women in umpiring on the global stage, we want to send a message that leadership and impact in cricket know no gender," he concluded.
