All-Female Umpires to Officiate 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup in Historic First

The ICC has announced a historic milestone: for the first time, the Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 will feature an entirely female panel of umpires and match officials.

The 13th edition of the tournament, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from September 30, will include a match referee panel of four - Shandr Fritz, Trudy Anderson, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira - each bringing unique experience to the competition.

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The 14-strong umpiring panel features seasoned officials Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams, and Sue Redfern, who will be appearing at their third Women’s World Cup. Joining them are Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton, officiating their second World Cup after being part of the team when Australia claimed their record seventh title in New Zealand in 2022.

While all-female officiating panels have appeared at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the last two ICC Women's T20 World Cups, this marks the first time the achievement will be realized at a Women’s World Cup.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah hailed the announcement as a landmark moment for women’s cricket, emphasising that it could pave the way for more success stories and inspire greater participation by women across the sport worldwide.

“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. 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," he said.

All eight teams have finalised their squads for the tournament, with Sri Lanka being the last to make their announcement. The Islanders are set to feature in the tournament opener, facing co-hosts India on September 30 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium.

Match Officials for Women’s World Cup 2025

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

Match Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira