Ireland’s Mary Waldron appointed to ICC’s development panel of umpires

Waldron is one of only eight women in world cricket to have been appointed to the position, and the first from Ireland. *“*I am delighted to be appointed to the ICC Panel. To be honest, I fell into umpiring almost by accident five or so years ago, when working as a Community Development Officer at Malahide Cricket Club, but have developed a love for it since,” she said.

“I have spent a number of Irish winters heading out to play club cricket in Australia, and in 2015, I sought out an umpire training course with Cricket Tasmania and it went from there. I can't thank Roy Loh and Cricket Tasmania enough for the help they gave me starting out, and now SACA and Cricket Leinster for the continued support and opportunity to umpire at higher levels.”

While Waldron has umpired in over 100 matches in her career, she especially fondly remembered one day. “While I have enjoyed umpiring in many grounds along the way, probably the day I umpired at Adelaide Oval would be the most memorable to date,” she said.

Waldron is a dual-sport veteran, having represented Ireland in both cricket and football. She has achieved a number of firsts in her career, including becoming the first female umpire to officiate in a men’s List A match, between Ireland Wolves and Bangladesh A last year, and becoming one half of the first female pair of umpires to officiate in a men’s first grade premier cricket match in Australia.

While her ultimate goal as an umpire is to make it to the ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires, Waldron has a few aspirations in her playing career that she wants to fulfil first. “I don't have a bucket list as such, but I went to the World T20 finals in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in 2016,” she said.

“Obviously I'd like to play in a World Cup final there, but the atmosphere was electric and I did think at the time I'd like to umpire there one day. Oh, and umpiring in a Test match, though, again, I’d rather play in one first.”