First-ever all-female match officials appointed for Women’s Cricket World Cup

For the first time in cricket history, the ICC has announced an all-female panel of match officials for the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, marking a historic moment in the sport’s evolution toward gender equality, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.

The upcoming tournament, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will feature a total of 14 umpires and 4 match referees, all women, officiating across 31 matches.

Among the umpires, Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams, and Sue Redfern will be making their third consecutive World Cup appearance. 

Lauren Agenbag and Kim Cotton will also return, continuing their roles from previous editions. Eloise Sheridan has also been named in this elite panel.

The match referee panel includes Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, G.S. Lakshmi, and Michelle Pereira, completing the historic all-female officiating team for the tournament.

Tournament structure and key fixtures:

The 13th edition of the women’s 50-over showpiece will kick off on September 30, with hosts India facing Sri Lanka in the opener in Guwahati.

As part of a neutral venue agreement, Pakistan will play all its matches in Colombo, avoiding matches in India to maintain diplomatic sensitivities.

The final will be held on November 2, either in Mumbai or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan qualifies for the title match.

It is also worth mentioning that the prize money for the Women’s World Cup 2025 has been set at $13.88 million, more than a third higher than the last men’s edition, according to an ICC announcement on September 1, 2025.

This is a monumental jump from the $3.5 million purse in 2022, and even eclipses the $10 million total prize fund from the most recent men’s World Cup.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah called it a “defining milestone” for women’s cricket. “This four-fold increase in prize money reflects our clear commitment to the long-term growth of the women's game,” Shah said.

The tournament winners will receive $4.48 million, a 239% increase from the $1.32 million awarded to Australia in 2022. The runners-up will get $2.24 million, up from the $600,000 England received in the last edition.

Reporter: Waseem Ahmed