ICC announces all-woman panel of match officials for Women’s T20 World Cup

In less than a couple of weeks, one of the biggest cricketing events in the women’s circuit is all set to unfurl as the T20 World Cup for women starts from February 10th in South Africa.

Dropping a landmark move, the ICC has announced an all-woman panel of match officials who will be supervising the games.

The panel comprises 13 members in all, and is inclusive of three match referees and 10 umpires (on field and television) from various countries.

ICC’s General Manager of Cricket, Wasim Khan opened up about this landmark move, adding, “Women's cricket has been growing rapidly in recent years and as part of that, we have been building the pathways to ensure more women have the opportunity to officiate at the highest level. This announcement is a reflection of our intent in this space and just the start of our journey where men and women enjoy the same opportunities across our sport.”

He further added, “We are committed to continuing to support our female match officials and provide opportunities to showcase their talents on the global stage. I wish them all the best for the tournament."

The last few days have been monumental in the Women’s game taking giant strides in the right direction as the five Women’s Premier League were officially announced.

Match Referees: GS Lakshmi (India), Shandre Fritz (South Africa), Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka).

On-field and TV umpires:Vrinda Rathi (India), N Janani (India), Sue Redfern (England), Eloise Sheridan (Australia), Claire Polosak (Australia), Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Kim Cotton (New Zealand), Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), Anna Harris (England), Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka).