Cricket News: ICC announces match officials for league matches of Women's T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials for the league phase of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, with three match referees and 12 umpires set to take the reins for the 23-match tournament.

The list of match officials includes a record six women for the showpiece event, which is slated to take place in Australia from February 21 to March 8.

India's GS Lakshmi is set to become the first woman match referee at a global ICC event, with Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Claire Polosak, Sue Redfern and Jacqueline Williams are named the women umpires for the ten-team competition.

Williams will stand along with Shaun George in the high-profile tournament opener between Australia and India on February 21 at Sydney Showground Stadium, soon after becoming the first woman to officiate as the third umpire in a men's international cricket match. 

Meanwhile, other women officials too will be looking to build on recent achievements.

Polosak, who became the first female umpire to officiate in a men’s ODI last year, will pair with Nitin Menon in the match between former champions West Indies and first-timers Thailand on February 22, a fixture that will also see match referee Lakshmi officiate two months since becoming the first female match referee in a men’s ODI.

Commenting on the same, Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager, Umpires and Referees, said, “This is the largest compliment of women match officials at a single event, and the progress we have made is heartening. We have endeavored to provide opportunities to women officials based on merit, and it is because of their skillset and hard work that they have graduated to the top level.

“We appoint the best match officials for an event and are pleased we have the right mix. I wish all match officials at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup the very best and am confident we will have smooth adjudication of the matches," he added. 

Emirates ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Chris Broad will be the senior-most match official at the marquee event with Steve Bernard also a match referee. The other umpires at the tournament will be Gregory Brathwaite, Chris Brown, Ahsan Raza, Langton Rusere and Alex Wharf.

The appointments of the officials for the semi-finals will be announced at the end of the league stage and those for the final will be finalised after the semi-finals.

The full list of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is as follows: 

Match Referees: Steve Bernard, Chris Broad, GS Lakshmi

Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Gregory Brathwaite, Chris Brown, Kim Cotton, Shaun George, Nitin Menon, Claire Polosak, Ahsan Raza, Sue Redfern, Langton Rusere, Alex Wharf, Jacqueline Williams