BETWAY SA20 OFFICIALS FRITZ AND GCUMA CALLED UP TO PAKISTAN

Betway SA20 match referee Shandre Fritz and umpire Lubabalo ‘Babs’ Gcuma have been named among the 13 officials - 10 umpires and three match referees - for the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier in Pakistan.

The host nation are one of six countries competing for the remaining two spots at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, to be held in India later this year.

ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey said: “This is an exciting opportunity for our appointed match officials, overseeing this important tournament which is the last step for teams on the path to the World Cup.

“Our officials are experienced and well prepared, and we look forward to seeing them participate in this event.”

Fritz is a former Proteas Women’s captain who played 83 international matches for the national team between 2003 and 2014.

She has since gone on to become a highly respected match referee since 2019, who has officiated in both the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and ICC Women’s ODI World Cup before.

Fritz has also been the sole female match referee on the Betway SA20 panel for the past two seasons.

Gcuma, meanwhile, has been the man in the middle for the last two Betway SA20 finals at Newlands and Wanderers, respectively.

Another vastly experienced umpire, Gcuma was the first recipient of the Umpire Exchange Programme between Betway SA20 and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

This opportunity allowed the 48-year-old to officiate in four matches during The Hundred in 2023.

Full list of officials

Referees: Ali Naqvi (Pakistan), Shandre Fritz (South Africa), Trudy Anderson (New Zealand).

Umpires: Babs Gcuma (South Africa), Candace la Borde (West Indies), Dedunu de Silva (Sri Lanka), Donovan Koch (Australia), Faisal Khan Afridi (Pakistan), Masudur Rahman Mukul (Bangladesh), Saleema Imtiaz (Pakistan), Sarah Dambanevana (Zimbabwe), Shathira Jakir Jesy (Bangladesh), Shaun Haig (New Zealand).