G.S. Lakshmi set to become first woman match referee to officiate in men’s ODI

Lakshmi will officiate in the match between the UAE and USA

gs-lakshmi-twitter (File) G.S. Lakshmi

Months after becoming the first woman to be appointed to ICC's international panel of match referees, G.S. Lakshmi is set to create history by becoming the first woman match referee to oversee a men's ODI.

The 51-year-old will officiate in the match between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. It is the opening match of the third series of the World Cup League 2 in the UAE. The competition aims to provide development opportunities for officials.

In May this year, Lakshmi has become the first woman to be appointed to ICC's international panel of match referees.

Lakshmi first officiated as a match referee in domestic women's cricket in 2008-09, and has now overseen three women's ODI matches, 16 men's T20Is and seven women's T20I.

"It feels great, having anything assigned first to your name gives me a sense of pride. This being a big ICC event (ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2), it feels great to be officiating at this level," Lakshmi said in an ICC media release.

Talking about how cricket secured her place at college, Lakshmi recounted, “I played cricket with my brothers and friends. When they (the college) saw my skills, that I had a natural bowling action, they immediately accepted took me in. I went on to play for my state in domestic cricket for 18 years."

Lakshmi is hopeful that other women can follow in her footsteps of officiating in the game.

"These qualification events provide a good platform to prepare officials and provide them opportunities to gain valuable experience. I hope my promotion to the ICC international panel of match referees and records like this can inspire many females. This is definitely another career opportunity for women."

(With PTI inputs)

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