ISLAMABAD:Sue Redfern would become the first International Cricket Council-appointed female neutral umpire to stand in a bilateral series as she has been named for the upcoming ICC Women’s Championship and T20I fixtures between Australia and South Africa.
Redfern’s appointment follows the ICC’s decision to appoint one neutral umpire for all ICC Women’s Championship series as well as any T20I matches scheduled with them, ensuring some neutrality in running matches while also keeping in mind the long-term development of female umpires, said a press release.
ICC’s General Manager of Cricket, Wasim Khan, sees this as a huge development as more opportunities open for women umpires.
‘This is a watershed moment for women’s cricket as we look to both implement a female match officials’ pathway programme and accelerate officiating opportunities for our very best performers. Neutral appointments will give female umpires more exposure to different conditions and will support the learning and development of local fema
le umpires who officiate alongside them.
The ICC would prioritise female officials for the neutral umpires’ role in ICC Women’s Championship series. The ICC-appointed female umpires would get match-day pay parity with their male counterparts on the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and receive comparable perks.
Redfern was confident her appointment would help build momentum and boost the growth of female match officials. ‘It’s an honour to be named by the ICC as its first official female neutral umpire and I’m very excited about the upcoming series between Australia and South Africa. This is a defining moment for both women’s cricket and female cricket officials, who have worked hard and been given development opportunities in recent years.
‘I would like to thank the ICC and the ECB for their support over the years and I look forward to more such appointments.’
Redfern, who played in six Tests and 15 ODIs for England between 1995 and 1999 including four in the 1997 World Cup in India, has been on the IC
C Development Panel of Umpires since 2016. She has officiated in two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups (2017 and 2022) and three ICC Women’s T20 World Cups (2018, 2022 and 2024).