JOHN’S, Antigua – Four female umpires eyeing possible selection to the international panel for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 in England and Wales are part of a two-day workshop that started today in Trinidad.
The four females umpires – Kenalyn Baker from Guyana, Barbadian Valerie Mahon, Leona Thomas of Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica’s Jacqueline Williams – join two-dozen of their West Indies Cricket Board second tier, male colleagues benefitting from the workshop taking place at the National Cricket Centre in the south Trinidad community of Couva.
“The four females umpires have all been involved at the domestic level in their territories, but the ICC are looking to have a number of female umpires to be placed on the panel for the Women’s World Cup,” said Project Officer – Cricket Operations of the WICB, Rawl Lewis.
“A number of criteria for the appointment of female umpires for that tournament were also forwarded and so we will work with Kenalyn, Valerie, Leona and Jacqueline over the next two years to develop their skills and give them more exposure in the hope that they meet the qualifying standards of the ICC for the Women’s World Cup.”
Lewis noted the workshop was very important for the continued development of the region’s umpires.
“We have conducted a number of workshops for our senior panel in recent times, but we felt it was important to expand the training to our emerging panel because we are seeking to improve the overall standard of the game in the Caribbean – and the umpires are a very integral part of this.
“Recently, the Directors of the WICB approved an improved fee structure for the panel and this workshop is another small step that the WICB has taken to encourage them with an eye to the overall development of the game in the region.”
The workshop is being facilitated by ICC umpires’ coach David Levens with the assistance of Zahid Bassarath, Verdayne Smith and Leslie Reifer Jr, three members of the senior West Indies Cricket Board panel.
The training will cover such topics as Managing Expectations, Teamwork & Communication, Code of Conduct and Attitude & the Mental Side of Umpiring, along with technical application of the rules of the game.
