Sue Redfern set to become first ICC-appointed woman neutral umpire for bilateral series

New Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): Sue Redfern is set to become the first International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed woman-neutral umpire in a bilateral series after being named for the upcoming ICC Women's Championship and T20I fixtures between Australia and South Africa.
ICC on Wednesday confirmed Redfern's appointment which follows the body's decision to appoint one neutral umpire for all ICC Women's Championship series as well as any T20I matches scheduled with them.
ICC's General Manager of Cricket, Wasim Khan, sees Redfern's selection as a huge development as this decision opens up more opportunities for women umpires.
"This is a watershed moment for women's cricket as we look to both implement a female match officials' pathway programme and accelerate officiating opportunities for our very best performers. Neutral appointments will give female umpires more exposure to different conditions and will support the learning and development of local female umpires who officiate alongside them," Wasim said as quoted from ICC.
"Last year we had the first all-female match officials' panel at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa and so it is important that we build on that momentum through a combination of development and high-quality opportunities," Wasim added.
The ICC-appointed female umpires will get match-day pay parity with their male counterparts on the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and receive comparable perks.
The female neutral umpires will be selected on merit and more of them will find themselves in the Emirates ICC International Panel of Umpires in the coming years, as part of ICC's strategic ambition to advance the involvement and visibility of women both on and off-field within the game.
Redfern is confident that her appointment will help build momentum and boost the growth of female match officials.
"It's an honour to be named by the ICC as its first official female neutral umpire and I'm very excited about the upcoming series between Australia and South Africa. This is a defining moment for both women's cricket and female cricket officials, who have worked hard and been given development opportunities in recent years," Redfern said.
"I've seen the landscape evolve for female officials and how many are now being recognised and supported across many countries. I am sure this appointment can help build momentum and visibility to help further develop female officials across the world in the future. Personally, I would like to thank the ICC and the ECB for their support over the years and I look forward to more such appointments," Redfern added.
During her playing days, Redfern featured in six Tests and 15 ODIs for England between 1995 and 1999 including four in the 1997 World Cup in India. She has been on the ICC Development Panel of Umpires since 2016.
Redfern has officiated in two ICC Women's Cricket World Cups (2017 and 2022) and three ICC Women's T20 World Cups (2018, 2022 and 2024).
The bilateral T20I series between Australia and South Africa will kick off on January 27. While the first ODI match of the ICC Women's Championship will be played on February 3. (ANI)