GS Lakshmi Becomes First Female ICC Match Referee
A former India cricketer GS Lakshmi has been given the honor of becoming the first ever female to be inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s International Panel of Match Referees.
A former India cricketer GS Lakshmi has been given the honor of becoming the first ever female to be inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s International Panel of Match Referees. Lakshmi who is 51 years old umpired her first match in 2008-2009 and has supervised 3 Womens One Day internationals and 3 T20 Internationals. Previously she was only able to Umpire domestic matches. She will now be eligible to referee International matches with immediate effect.
Lakshmi said in an ICC Media Release “ I would like to thank the ICC and BCCI, my family and colleagues who have supported me and doing my job to the best of my abilities” ICC Senior Manager, Adrian Griffith said that we welcome Lakshmi to our panel and is an important step forward to our commitment to encouraging women officials.
It is their hope that many other women will see this and be inspired to follow her example. He also said that the ICC is committed to ensuring gender equality in all their officials, but all appointments are made on merit. The ICC also hired two more women in there ICC Development Panel of Umpires bringing the total up to 8 women.
