Claire Polosak To Become First Female Match Official In Men’s Test Match

Claire Polosak is all set to create history in the Pink Test between India and Australia. She is going to become the first female match official in a men's Test match. In the third Test which is set to begin on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Polosak will take up the role of the fourth umpire.

On-field umpires for the match are Paul Reiffel and Paul Wilson. TV umpire for the match is Bruce Oxenford. According to Polosak’s statement, her growth as an umpire was just the beginning and more women should take up the role of umpires.

Claire Polosak will become the first female official to be involved in a men's Test after being named as the fourth umpire for the SCG Test 👏 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Lwlp1vWwsR

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 6, 2021

According to the ICC rules for Test matches, the home cricket board appoints the fourth umpire. The appointment is done from their nominees to the International Panel of ICC Umpires and from the host country.

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Fourth umpire duties include bringing on the new ball and new bails carrying drinks to the field for the umpires, checking the batteries in the light meter and observation of the pitch during the lunch and tea intervals to ensure that there is no interference.

If something happens to the on-field umpires, the third umpire takes over on-field duties. In this case, fourth umpire can take over the third umpire’s position.

Polosak had earlier made it to the headlines in 2019 when she became the first woman on-field umpire in a men’s ODI match in ICC’s Division 2 league between Namibia and Oman played at the Windhoek. She is a resident of New South Wales’s Goulburn city. Read more about her here

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The four-match series between India and Australia is currently at level at 1-1. The third Test is scheduled to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from Thursday.