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Women's WC sinks into umpiring controversies as ICC event witnesses schoolboy errors

Anurag Dasgupta

Controversies in Women's WC [Source: AFP Photo]Controversies in Women's WC [Source: AFP Photo]

The Women’s World Cup 2025 has turned out to be a controversial event with numerous umpiring blunders. The umpiring standards have gone down in the tournament, with numerous contentious calls in the first two weeks of the competition. The use of the DRS system has come under scrutiny, and the umpires’ experience of using the technology has come under the microscope.

Notable controversies in Women's World Cup

The Heather Knight dismissal

In a tight game between England and Bangladesh Women, England batter Heather Knight, was given three lifelines, and one of them was a low catch taken by Shorna Akter. In a tense chase of 179, Knight, who was batting a 13, chipped one to Akter at covers as the fielder took a low catch.

Knight was happy to walk off, but the third umpire saw inconclusive evidence of a clear catch and decided to give the decision in Knight’s favour as England went on to win the match.

The Muneeba Ali run out vs India

Perhaps the biggest controversy occurred in the India vs Pakistan Women’s match. The opener was originally given not-out, but after a bit of drama, the third umpire overturned the decision and gave her not-out. The third umpire initially gave Muneeba Ali not-out as she had not viewed all the different angles available. However, after viewing it from different angles, the umpire changed her decision and gave it a run-out.

The Sneh Rana catch in IND Vs AUS

In a high-scoring game between India and Australia, Alyssa Healy stole the show with a brilliant hundred, but before her wicket, a controversy occurred when Sneh Rana dived in to take a brilliant catch. The Healy dismissal was checked by the third umpire, Jacqueline Williams, who initially stated that “she could see the ball touching on the ground,” before overruling her statement and giving it out.

Why the umpiring blunders has taken place

Interestingly, of the ten umpires in the Women’s World Cup who are working with the DRS and other technologies, only three have officiated in more than 20 games, while several have never worked with technologies used in cricket matches, and this has led to confusion in several matches.

la Borde, N Janani, and Sarah Dambanenava. La Borde, three of the Women’s World Cup umpires have never used DRS before, and five of the ten umpires have only officiated in fewer than five games with DRS available.

How these decisions could hamper the World Cup

The World Cup is generally a prestigious tournament, and such schoolboy errors have already hampered the tournament. In a high-octane tournament like this, the ICC has made a huge mistake by appointing officials who have little to no experience in using the technologies available.

Cricket is a game of small margins, and these mistakes may look minor at first, but they could have major impact on the outcome of the game, and the entire tournament, and perhaps the ICC should have a look into it.