Trailblazing Bangladeshi umpire Shathira Jakir Jessy is among 20 match officials appointed to stand in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.
Shathira was the first female umpire appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and most recently stood at the 2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup, having previously represented her country as a bowler.
She is joined by Candace La Borde and Dedunu De Silva, who were both part of the match officials team for the inaugural tournament final that saw India clinch the trophy.
South Africa’s Kerrin Klaaste, 26, has also been selected to umpire at the tournament for a second time.
India’s pioneering officials, Narayanan Janani and Gayathri Venugopalan are among those appointed to the tournament for the first time. They became the first women to stand as on-field umpires in a men’s domestic fixture in India, along with Vrinda Rathi.
Shivani Mishra, also part of the line-up, became the first female on-field umpire to officiate in a men’s T20I in January 2019.
ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey highlighted the diversity of the officials appointed as he looked ahead to the tournament that gets underway on January 18, with 14 nations represented including Qatar, Ireland, USA and Oman.
“Congratulations to the umpires and match referees who have been selected to this event,” he said. “These individuals have earned selection by performing well in bilateral cricket. It is a wonderfully diverse group, just like the game that they represent.
“Similar to the players at this event, these officials have been identified as having high potential. We are confident that they will perform well and that some will progress to officiate at the higher levels of the game.”
David Gilbert, Dean Cosker, Reon King, and Trudy Anderson have been appointed as match referees.
Match Officials for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025:
Umpires: Ashlee Gibbons (Australia), Shathira Jakir Jessy (Bangladesh), Gayathri Venugopalan (India), Narayanan Janani (India), Aidan Seaver (Ireland), Nitin Bathi (Netherlands), Rizwan Akram (Netherlands), Rahul Asher (Oman), Saleema Imtiaz (Pakistan), Shivani Mishra (Qatar), Kerrin Klaaste (South Africa), Dedunu De Silva (Sri Lanka), Vijaya Prakash Mallela (USA), Candace La Borde (West Indies), Maria Abbott (West Indies), Forster Mutizwa (Zimbabwe)
Match referees: David Gilbert (Australia), Dean Cosker (England), Trudy Anderson (New Zealand), Reon King (West Indies)
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
