Claire Polosak appointed on-field umpire for pink-ball Test; will be first Australian female to officiate in all three formats

Claire Polosak has been appointed to officiate in the pink-ball Test in Gold Coast between Australia and India starting September 30, Cricket Australia announced on Friday (September 10). It will be Polosak’s debut as an umpire in the format, which will make her the first Australian woman to be an on-field umpire in all three formats of the game.



Polosak made her umpiring debut in T20Is in 2015 and in ODIs in 2016. She has been part of the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires since 2018 and in Cricket Australia’s Supplementary Umpire Panel since 2014-15. She also was set to officiate in the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup last year between England and India, which eventually was washed out.



The 33 year old made history when she officiated in the Namibia versus Oman game, which was the final of the OCC World Cricket League Division Two tournament, becoming the first woman to officiate in a men’s international. That was one of the six competitions in which Polosak has officiated in the finals.



“This appointment is a wonderful opportunity for Claire, having performed to an exceptional standard on every occasion she has been appointed by the ICC,” said Darren Goodger, Umpiring Manager of Cricket New South Wales.



ALSO READ: Need to find Jhulan Goswami a bowling-partner, says Ramesh Powar ahead of tour Down Under



“Claire has made the most of her opportunities at international level, she has also created many for herself. She has worked hard in progressing through the umpiring pathway, is ready to perform at this level and deserving of this appointment.”



Polosak has also been part of the umpiring contingent for the One-Day Cup games, the Women’s National Cricket League and domestic T20s. She will be the 66^th Australian to be an on-field umpire in a women’s Test match and only the second from New South Wales – Stevenie Harman, who umpired in 1991, was the first.



Apart from Polosak, Phillip Gillespie will be the other on-field umpire while Bruce Oxenford will take care of the duties of the third umpire. Eloise Sheridan will be the fourth umpire while Bob Stratford will be the Match Referee.



The Test match is part of the multi-format series between Australia and India, which starts on September 21 with the first of three ODIs. The teams will then face off in three T20Is after the day/night Test.