Historic all-women officiating panel named for Women’s World Cup

Dubai, 11 September 2025:

The ICC on Thursday announced that the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup will feature an all-female panel of umpires and match referees for the first time in tournament history.

The 13th edition of the event will be played in India and Sri Lanka from Sept. 30, and will include 14 umpires and four referees. The panel includes experienced officials such as Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams and Sue Redfern, all appearing in their third Women’s World Cup. Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton return for their second World Cup after officiating in the 2022 final, when Australia claimed a record seventh title in New Zealand.

The referees are Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi and Michell Pereira.

While all-female panels have previously officiated at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the two most recent Women’s T20 World Cups, this is the first time the Women’s World Cup will feature the milestone.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah called the announcement a defining moment.

“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,” Shah said. “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.”

Match officials for the Women’s World Cup

Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandré 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