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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the panel of match officials for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, confirming an all-female officiating group for the third consecutive edition of the tournament.
The upcoming marquee tournament, scheduled to be held in England and Wales from June 12, will feature 14 umpires and four match referees overseeing 33 matches. Four officials--Candace La Borde, Gayathri Venugopalan, Kerrin Klaaste and Shathira Jakir Jesy--will make their tournament debuts this year. Meanwhile, nine members from the match officials' panel of the 2024 edition have been retained for the upcoming event. Veteran Australian umpire Claire Polosak, the most experienced official in the group, is set for her sixth Women's T20 World Cup appearance, having already stood in 22 matches at the tournament. Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton will also reach their fifth World Cup assignments, with 19 matches each to their name in previous editions. Among the match referees, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi and Michell Pereira return after officiating in the 2024 edition. They will be joined by New Zealand's Trudy Anderson, completing the four-member referee panel. "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. The ICC takes into consideration a comprehensive, holistic, and evidence-based account while assessing its sports officials and their decision-making performance. We are delighted to see the progress made by these officials and the elevated standards of officiating they demonstrated during ICC CWC 2025. As we prepare to deliver what will be the biggest women's sporting event in the world, this selection will serve to elevate the meaning associated with the athletic spectacle," ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said. ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 ICC International Panel of Match Officials: ICC International Panel of Umpires: 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, Gayathri Venugopalan. ICC International Panel of Match Referees: Trudy Anderson, Shandre Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira. (ANI)
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