Australia are the holders of the Women’s World T20 © Getty Images
Two female umpires will officiate at the Women’s World T20 for the first time in the tournament’s history next month, after Kathy Cross and Claire Polosak were named in a 31-person list of officials for the concurrent men’s and women’s events in India.
Cross, from New Zealand, has prior experience of an ICC event, having officiated at three Women’s World Cups in 2000, 2009 and 2013. She will be the first of the two to officiate in the forthcoming tournament, when she takes charge of Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh at Chennai on March 16.
Polosak, however, will be making her first appearance in a global tournament, having overseen the women’s World Cup qualifiers in Thailand recently. At 27, will be the youngest official on duty in India, with first match coming at Mohali on March 18, when New Zealand take on Ireland.
A Sydney-based schoolteacher by profession, Polosak made another slice of history last year when she became the first woman to officiate in Australia’s Matador Cup, standing as third umpire for Queensland v Cricket Australia XI in October 2015.
“When I started umpiring at 15, I really didn’t think I’d have the opportunities that have already been presented to me at 27,” Polosak said.
Her ultimate ambition is join the ICC Elite Panel and officiate in a Test match. “It’s ultimately about working your way through the pathway but at the moment I’m just concentrating on being the best I am for the game that’s in front of me. If I continue to work hard the opportunities will come,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“There is a really good statistic that there has been more astronauts than there has been Test umpires. So it’s a very tight tunnel to get through. But like the players you always want to go to the next level if possible.”
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo