For the first time at a women’s 50-over World Cup every match official will be a woman, a small but notable shift for the game. The ICC confirmed on Thursday that four match referees and 14 umpires – 18 officials in all, drawn from nine countries – will take charge of the tournament in India and Sri Lanka from 30 September to 2 November.
The referees are Trudy Anderson (New Zealand), Shandre Fritz (South Africa), GS Lakshmi (India) and Michelle Pereira (Sri Lanka). On-field and television duties fall to 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).
Polosak, Williams and Redfern head to their third women’s World Cup; Agenbag and Cotton make it two in a row. The group is the largest female cohort the ICC has assembled at a global event, overtaking the 13-strong contingent at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Earlier all-female panels operated at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (2022) and the two most recent women’s T20 World Cups, but never before in a 50-over tournament.
“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,” ICC president Jay 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.
“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.”
On the field, eight sides play a single round-robin – seven matches each – with the top four moving to the semi-finals. Hosts India meet co-hosts Sri Lanka in Guwahati on the opening day; holders Australia begin against New Zealand a day later. Matches are spread across Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Navi Mumbai and Colombo, with the final pencilled in for Colombo on 2 November.
It is easy to dismiss such appointments as window dressing, though the officials themselves would bristle at the idea. They have done the hard yards on men’s and women’s pathways, often juggling day jobs, family commitments and travel that is rarely glamorous. If the tournament runs smoothly, we may not notice them at all – a quiet success that would underline why this announcement matters more in practice than on paper.
