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All-Female Team to Officiate 2026 Women's T20 World Cup
28 May
Summary
- ICC confirms all-female officiating group for the third consecutive time.
- Four new officials debut while nine from 2024 panel return.
- Claire Polosak, the most experienced umpire, makes her sixth World Cup appearance.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the match officials for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. This marks the third consecutive tournament to feature an all-female officiating group, underscoring the ICC's dedication to representation in cricket.
The tournament, scheduled to be held in England and Wales starting June 12, will involve 14 umpires and four match referees managing a total of 33 matches. This esteemed panel includes four debutants: Candace La Borde, Gayathri Venugopalan, Kerrin Klaaste, and Shathira Jakir Jesy.
Veteran umpire Claire Polosak of Australia leads the group with her sixth World Cup assignment, having officiated in 22 previous matches. She is joined by Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton, who will each be participating in their fifth World Cup.
The match referee panel comprises Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, and Michell Pereira, all of whom return after officiating in the 2024 edition. Trudy Anderson from New Zealand completes the four-member referee team.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta highlighted the selection as a testament to the organization's commitment to expanding representation across all aspects of the sport. He emphasized the rigorous assessment process for officials and expressed delight at their demonstrated progress and elevated standards.
