Historic first
\nICC Chairman Jay Shah describes announcement as \u201cdefining moment in the journey of women\u2019s cricket\u201d
\n Dubai
\nThe International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the upcoming ICC Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup 2025 will feature an all-female panel of match officials, marking a historic first for the tournament.
\nAccording to the ICC, while all-female panels have previously officiated at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the last two ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cups, this is the first time such a panel will oversee matches at a Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup.
\nThe Emirates ICC Panel of Match Officials includes 14 umpires and four match referees, with several experienced names returning. Claire Polosak, Jacquline Williams, and Sue Redfern will be officiating at their third Women\u2019s World Cup, while Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton return for their second appearance, having officiated in the 2022 final, where Australia secured their seventh title.
\nMeanwhile, the match referee panel comprises Trudy Anderson, Shandr\u00e9 Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michelle Pereira, who bring a range of experience to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka starting September 30, 2025.
\nICC Chairman Jay Shah described the announcement as a \u201cdefining moment in the journey of women\u2019s cricket\u201d.
\n\u201cThis marks a defining moment in the journey of women\u2019s cricket, one that we hope will pave the way for many more trailblazing stories across all facets of the sport,\u201d Shah said in the ICC statement.
\n\u201cThe inclusion of an all-women panel of match officials is not only a major milestone but also a powerful reflection of the ICC\u2019s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity across cricket.\u201d
\nHe added that the move aims to increase visibility and create opportunities for women in officiating roles.
\n\u201cThis development goes beyond symbolic value. It is about visibility, opportunity, and the creation of meaningful role models who can inspire future generations.\u201d
\nThe ICC expressed hope that the initiative will motivate more women around the world to consider officiating as a career path and contribute to redefining leadership in cricket.
\nEmirates ICC Panel of Match Officials
\nMatch Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandr\u00e9 Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michelle Pereira
\nUmpires: Lauren Agenbag, Candace la Borde, Kim Cotton, Sarah Dambanevana, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaaste, Janani N, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Sue Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Gayathri Venugopalan, Jacquline Williams<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Historic first ICC Chairman Jay Shah describes announcement as \u201cdefining moment in the journey of women\u2019s cricket\u201d Dubai The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the upcoming ICC Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup 2025 will feature an all-female panel of match officials, marking a historic first for the tournament. According to the ICC, while all-female […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502388,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-502372","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n