The Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025, the six-team competition, which will decide the two final spots for the Women’s Cricket World Cup later this year in India, will be held in Pakistan from April 9 to April 19. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials who will oversee all the action.
Four full-member teams—Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, and the West Indies—alongside associate nations Scotland and Thailand will compete in the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The competition’s finalists will guarantee spots for the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The 15-match event will be supervised by three match referees and ten umpires. Saleema Imtiaz and Faisal Khan Afridi will serve as the umpiring panel’s representatives for the host country, Pakistan.
As the first Pakistani woman to serve on an ICC umpiring panel, Saleema created history last year and has since emerged as a symbol of hope for the nation’s future female officials.
“This isn’t just a win for me; it’s a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan. I hope my success motivates countless women who dream of making their mark in the sport,” Saleema remarked.
Umpires:
Faisal Khan Afridi (Pakistan)
Saleema Imtiaz (Pakistan)
Masudur Rahman Mukul (Bangladesh)
Shatira Jakir Jesy (Bangladesh)
Sarah Dambanevana (Zimbabwe)
Babs Gcuma (South Africa)
Candace la Borde (West Indies)
Dedunu de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Donovan Koch (Australia)
Shaun Haig (New Zealand)
Match referees:
Ali Naqvi (Pakistan)
Shandre Fritz (South Africa)
Trudy Anderson (New Zealand)
Shatira Jakir Jesy, a former Bangladesh international cricket player, will be officiating her first tournament match, while Sarah Dambanevana, another pioneer on the panel, was the first female umpire to stand in a domestic men’s match in Zimbabwe after officiating the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 final.
Sean Easey, Senior Manager for Umpires and Referees at the ICC, highlighted the tournament’s importance in giving match officials a chance to demonstrate their abilities.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our appointed match officials, overseeing this important tournament, which is the last step for teams on the path to the World Cup. Our officials are experienced and well-prepared, and we look forward to seeing them participate in this event,” said Easey.
An experienced officiating panel guarantees the competition will be run with the utmost professionalism and fairness as the teams compete for qualification. This event, which has a varied panel of referees and umpires from throughout the world, represents yet another important advancement for women’s cricket on the international scene.
Loves all things female cricket
