Hyderabad Match Referee GS Lakshmi Set to Officiate Her Sixth ICC Event
HYDERABAD — Hyderabad-based match referee GS Lakshmi was set to officiate her sixth International Cricket Council (ICC) event at the Women’s T20 World Cup in England. The 58-year-old former fast bowler, who relocated to Hyderabad in 1989, reached this significant career milestone as she continued her long-standing career in international cricket officiating.
Lakshmi's extensive officiating career already includes serving as a match referee in two ODI World Cups and three T20 World Cups. Notably, she became the first woman to officiate a Women's One Day World Cup final during the 2022 tournament in New Zealand. She also officiated the T20 World Cup finals in South Africa in 2023 and in Dubai in 2024, which she described as the most memorable moments of her career.
Reflecting on her journey, Lakshmi expressed satisfaction with her long career, noting that she did not expect to continue for so long when she first began. Although she came close to playing for the national team in England in 1999, she never made it to the playing XI. She explained that officiating provided a second chance to make her mark in cricket after her playing career ended.
Born in Kovvur near Rajahmundry, Lakshmi grew up in Jamshedpur, where her father, G Sharma, worked with Tata Motors. She began her playing career in 1985, debuting for Bihar before playing for Andhra women and South Central Railways from 1989 to 2004. Her move to Hyderabad in 1989 was prompted by securing a job with South Central Railways, where she later coached the women’s team until 2014.
Lakshmi transitioned into officiating in 2014 when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opened the profession to women, selecting her as one of five female candidates. In 2019, she made history by becoming the first female appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match Referees. Later that year, she became the first woman to referee at an ICC event during the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup qualifier tournament in the UAE.
