Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Wednesday Sep 17, 2025
Friday, 12 September 2025 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Nimali Perera (left) and Michell Pereira
The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday announced a landmark moment in the history of the sport: an all-female Emirates ICC Panel of Match Officials will oversee the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
This marks the first time in tournament history that a Women’s Cricket World Cup will be officiated entirely by women, a feat made possible by the ICC’s work across many years to support, elevate and empower women in cricket.
This achievement is another milestone for the ICC’s broader strategic vision to accelerate the growth of women’s cricket. It marks the fourth global tournament to feature an all-female panel of match officials, following the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the two most recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cups.
The 13th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, hosted by India, will feature 31 matches over 33 days, with eight teams vying for global glory. The matches will be played across India and Sri Lanka commencing 30 September.
A total of 14 umpires and four match referees – each bringing significant international experience – have been selected to represent the Emirates ICC Panel during the event.
The officiating team includes two Sri Lankans Michell Pereira who is one of four in the match referees panel, and Nimali Perera who is one of 14 umpires in the panel. Both have played club cricket for Colts women’s team, Michell as a left-hand bat and wicket-keeper and Nimali as a right-arm slow bowler and right-hand bat. They also have the experience of officiating in WODIs and WT20Is.
“This marks a defining moment in the journey of women’s cricket, one that we hope will pave the way for many more trailblazing stories across all facets of the sport. The inclusion of an all-women panel of match officials is not only a major milestone but also a powerful reflection of the ICC’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity across cricket,” said ICC Chairman Jay Shah.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Panel of Match Officials
nMatch referees:
Trudy Anderson, Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira
nUmpires:
Lauren Agenbag, Candace la Borde, Kim Cotton, Sarah Dambanevana, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaste, Janani Narayanan, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Sue Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Gayathri Venugopalan, Jacqueline Williams
