Claire Polosak becomes first female umpire in men’s ODI

Claire Polosak has become the first woman to umpire a men’s one-day international (ODI).

Polosak officiated final of the World Cricket League Division 2, between Namibia and Oman, who both secured ODI status after finishing in the top two positions of the table.

The Australian was told of the news on the eve of the final, and she was elated.

“We go out there to umpire. Not to get a final appointment, but to be a part of a team, to be involved in the game,” she told the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.

She added: "It’s really to do with the partners you work with all the way through. Right from my local association, NSW umpires and scorers, as well as parents and my partner, Evans, my husband, without whose support there’s no way I’d be here today.”

Adrian Griffith, the ICC senior manager of umpires and referees, also congratulated her on achieving this rare feat.

"Congratulations to Claire for this fantastic achievement of becoming the first woman umpire to stand in a men's one-day international. It is one thoroughly deserved and a result of her hard work and perseverance,” said Griffith. “She is a role model for women who want to get into officiating and proves how successful they can be once they are on the right path and get the opportunities."

This isn’t the first time Polosak will stand in a men’s match, though. In 2017, she became the first on-field female umpire to officiate a men’s domestic game in Australia.

She was also the first woman to officiate in the final of an ICC T20 Women’s World Cup, standing in the most recent edition in the Caribbean. She also holds the distinction of being one of two female umpires, along with Eloise Sheridan, who officiated together, for the first time, in a competitive game on Australian soil during the WBBL in 2018.