First female umpire in T20 Blast
Vitality T20 Blast: Sue Redfern on becomes first female umpire to officiate in T20 Blast clash
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Former England cricketer Sue Redfern is all set to take her next stride in her umpiring career, as she will be the first woman to officiate a T20 Blast matches.
Standing alongside fellow umpire Ian Blackwell for the clash in Bristol, Redfern expressed her delight on receiving the opportunity. She further emphasized the importance for people to take heed of women in different roles, which includes men’s cricket.
It’s crucial that people see women in a variety of roles throughout. Not just in women’s cricket, but also in men’s cricket. A lot of people know me as a female umpire in women’s cricket, which is something I hold dear to my heart and for which I am extremely fortunate to be selected, and this Blast debut is significant because of that.
It’s about giving female umpires the steps they need to advance—not just in men’s cricket, where I play, but in women’s as well. I would like to officiate both men’s and women’s games. The one is not superior than the other. It involves many difficulties and opportunities along those courses.
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Shouldn’t be stereotyping women into women’s cricket: Redfern
The former English cricketer made history in 2021 when she became the first woman to referee an international game. She is currently a frequent official on the international women’s circuit. During the first T20I between England and Sri Lanka, Redfern served as the fourth umpire. She emphasized again that stereotypes of women in the sector should be abandoned in favour of developing skill sets.
“Every umpire who advances must put in a lot of effort. We shouldn’t generalize about males playing men’s cricket and women playing women’s cricket. We need to eliminate any bias that may exist throughout the routes and focus on what skill sets are required for this game of cricket and who has those skill sets,” She Added
Furthermore, she highlighted that as the game develops, equal and fair opportunities should be the standard, and performance should be the determining factor. In addition, regardless of gender bias, these opportunities for professional development should be offered.
“Your performances will dictate the next opportunity which you get and the key thing here is making sure that there’s no bias in selection and there are opportunities whether you’re male or female and it is based on performance,” she concluded.
