GS Lakshmi set to become first female match referee to oversee men’s one-day international

India’s GS Lakshmi will create history as the first female match referee to oversee a men’s One-Day International in the opening match of the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in the United Arab Emirates.

Lakshmi’s first assignment would be the tournament opener between United Arab Emirates and the United States of America on December 8, the ICC said in a release on Thursday. The competition is part of the qualification process for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023 with Scotland being the third team in the tournament.

This is the second significant achievement for Lakshmi this year, following her appointment as the first woman onto the ICC International Panel of Match Referees in May. The 51-year old who first officiated as a match referee in domestic women’s cricket in 2008-09, has now overseen three women’s ODI matches, 16 men’s T20 Internationals and seven women’s T20 Internationals.