In a momentous step, the recently concluded bilateral series between Bangladesh and Ireland women featured an all-women officiating team throughout the series.
Ireland was on a tour to Bangladesh for a limited-over series with the series commencing with a three-match ODI series on November 27 and was followed by a 3-match T20I series.
The hosts claimed a commanding 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series while Ireland bounced back in the T20I leg, securing a 3-0 win in the T20I series.
The historic all-women officiating panel comprised five women, four of them who hailed from Bangladesh and one from England. The five umpires were in the form of Sue Redfern, Rokeya Sultana, Shathira Jakir, Dolly Rani and Supriya Das.
Earlier this year, England’s Sue Redfern was appointed as the first female neutral umpire to stand in the bilateral series with ICC’s aim to promote gender diversity in officiating roles and supporting the role of female umpires.
Supriya Das is part of the ICC International Panel of umpires, making her one of the most experienced umpires in Bangladesh. Sue Redfern, Dolly Rani, and Rokeya Sultana are part of the ICC development panel of umpires.
The all-women umpiring panel for this series is a landmark moment in cricket which also reflects a cultural shift within the sport.
The success of this initiative is expected to encourage similar moves in future series with the ICC and national boards actively focusing on inclusivity, ensuring cricket becomes a truly equitable sport.
Loves all things female cricket