The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced 18 match officials for the upcoming Womenโs T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to begin on June 12 in England and Wales. It will mark the third instance when the showpiece event will feature an all-woman panel, of which four will be from India.ย
GS Lakshmi will serve as one of the four match referees for the tournament, while Vrinda Rathi, Janani N. and Gayathri Venugopalan feature in the umpiring panel announced by the ICC. In total, four match referees have been appointed, while 14 will officiate as umpires across the 33-match event.
The debutants and experienced section
Meanwhile, for Gayathri Venugopalan, the tournament will mark a first appearance at the Womenโs T20 World Cup. Candace La Borde, Kerrin Klaaste and Shathira Jakir Jesy are also set to make their debuts as part of the officiating group.
Australiaโs Claire Polosak enters the tournament as the most experienced umpire in the panel. She is preparing for her sixth Womenโs T20 World Cup appearance and has previously officiated in 22 matches at the tournament. Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton are also set to complete their fifth World Cup assignments after standing in 19 matches each in earlier editions.
Among the referees, Lakshmi returns after being part of the 2024 tournament alongside Shandrr Fritz and Michell Pereira. New Zealandโs Trudy Anderson completes the refereeing panel for the event.
“This panel of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 reflects the ICC’s commitment to expanding the scope of representation to all facets of the sport,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said in a press release.
“The ICC takes into consideration a comprehensive, holistic, and evidence-based account while assessing its sports officials and their decision-making performance,” he added.
Notably, nine officials from the 2024 Womenโs T20 World Cup have retained their places for the upcoming edition in England and Wales.ย
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