All-female umpire panel for Women’s T20 WC

Sri Lanka’s Nimali Perera and Michell Pereira will officiate at the T20 World Cup

(File photo)

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will feature an all-female panel of match officials, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced yesterday.

13 match officials — 10 umpires and three match referees — were selected for the upcoming edition hosted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in the UAE.

Claire Polosak will bring the most experience to the panel, having officiated in four previous Women’s T20 World Cup Tournaments.

Kim Cotton and Jacqueline Williams will be making their fourth appearance at the event, both having the distinction of officiating the final of the previous edition between Australia and South Africa.

Sue Redfern, who served as the TV umpire for the previous final, also returns for her fourth appearance at the tournament. On the other hand, Zimbabwe’s Sarah Dambanevana will make her Women’s T20 World Cup debut as an umpire.

Speaking about the announcement, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey said: “The ICC is proud to be contributing to the advancement of Women in our sport. To be announcing this all-female lineup of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is wonderful.”

“This group, selected as the most deserving umpires for this event following their recent form in bilateral and other cricket, are some of the very best from around the world.”

“We are confident that they will do a great job at this event. I wish them the best of luck as they oversee the world’s top women’s cricketers in what will be an exciting tournament for all involved.”

The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup will feature 10 teams competing across 23 matches for the prestigious trophy. The tournament kicks-off on October 3 with an exciting opening clash between Bangladesh and Scotland in Sharjah.

Prior to the main event, each team will participate in two warm-up matches, starting on September 28, to fine-tune their preparations for the competition.  (ICC)