Two female umpires from India have been included in the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires. Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi were on Wednesday named in the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires. A moment for the Indian women’s cricket association previously Indian women’s team made their maiden finals in the T20 women’s world cup.
India lost the finals against Australia without scoring even 100, but received wishes from many former players for their efforts in the tournament. After that achievement it’s time for our female umpires to script some history in cricket.
ICC’s announcement
The announcement comes soon after the launch of 100% Cricket, a 12-month campaign anticipated to build on the momentum of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.
Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees said: “These are exciting times for women’s cricket, and it is only appropriate that we have more women officials at the international level. We will work proactively with Member Boards to give female officials the pathway needed for their growth.
“I am sure Janani and Vrinda are looking forward to their time on the panel. I wish them all the best and hope they not only perform well on assignment, but continue to develop their skillset with our support as they travel along their journey.”
Janani Narayanan
Janani, 34, who idolizes the late David Shepherd of England and retired India umpire Srinivas Venkatraghavan, has been umpiring in Indian domestic tournaments since 2018. “I’m delighted to be named in ICC’s development panel and look forward to officiating to the best of my ability. I have been a lifelong fan of cricket and worked passionately towards becoming an umpire. This opportunity gives me the chance of learning from seniors on the circuit and improve in the years to come.
“I want to thank the BCCI for all their help and the ICC for giving me this break. I would like to thank Mr Radhakrishnan, who has been my mentor since I first started umpiring. I would also like to thank my parents who never stopped me from watching cricket on TV, my senior umpires Sai Darshan, Ashwin Kumar and all my state panel umpires, national panel umpires and referees who have helped me learn and grow”.
Vrinda Rathi
A former cricketer and also a scorer, Vrinda has donned different hats and is now looking forward to the new opportunities coming her way. Vrinda Rathi is set to become the first national woman umpire from India.
“I feel privileged to be named in ICC’s development panel as this opens new avenues for me. I am sure I will get to learn a lot from other members of the panel and look forward to future assignments”.
“Having played cricket and also officiated as a scorer, this was a natural progression for me and I am happy at the way things have unfolded. I am thankful to the BCCI for backing me over the years and to the ICC for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family, colleagues and mentors for all the help and support over the years,” she said.
