ICC names all-female officiating panel for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed an all-female panel of match officials for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, marking the third consecutive edition of the tournament to feature an entirely female officiating team.

A total of 14 umpires and four match referees will oversee 33 matches during the tournament, which is set to be held across England and Wales from June 12.

Four officials — Candace La Borde, Gayathri Venugopalan, Kerrin Klaaste and Shathira Jakir Jesy — have earned their maiden Women's T20 World Cup appointments. The ICC has also retained nine officials from the 2024 edition, reflecting continuity in the officiating group.

Australia's Claire Polosak remains the most experienced umpire on the panel and is preparing for her sixth Women's T20 World Cup. She has officiated in 22 matches across previous editions. Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton are set for their fifth tournament appearances, having stood in 19 matches each.

The match referee panel includes returning officials Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi and Michell Pereira, alongside New Zealand's Trudy Anderson.

Announcing the appointments, ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta said the selection reflects the governing body's efforts to broaden representation across all areas of the sport.

“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,” Gupta said.

He added that officials were assessed through a “comprehensive, holistic, and evidence-based” evaluation process and praised the standards displayed during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.

“We are delighted to see the progress made by these officials and the elevated standards of officiating they demonstrated during ICC CWC 2025,” Gupta said.

Describing the upcoming competition as “the biggest women's sporting event in the world”, Gupta said the selected officials would help enhance the stature of the tournament.

The umpiring panel comprises Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Anna Harris, Shathira Jakir Jesy, Kerrin Klaaste, Candace La Borde, Janani N, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Suzanne Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Jacquline Williams and Gayathri Venugopalan.

The match referees appointed for the tournament are Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi and Michell Pereira.