Sarah Dambanevana, the former Zimbabwe fast bowler who became the first Zimbabwean woman to umpire a Cricket World Cup final, has died in Harare at the age of 36.
Zimbabwe Cricket announced that she died in the early hours of Monday. In its statement, the board said she had been receiving hospital care since a medical procedure in March.
Funeral arrangements had not been announced in the early reports.
From fast bowler to international umpire
Born on May 26, 1990, Dambanevana played for Zimbabwe Women between 2009 and 2014. She took part in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2011, the competition that decides which teams reach the global tournament.
After her playing career ended, she moved into officiating and rose quickly. She worked in domestic cricket in Zimbabwe and at international youth tournaments before earning places on the biggest stages.
A career of firsts
In January 2023, Dambanevana stood in the final between India and England at the inaugural ICC Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, which India won. The appointment made her the first Zimbabwean woman to umpire a Cricket World Cup final.
She went on to officiate at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 in the United Arab Emirates. A year later, she was part of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka, where the tournament used a historic all female panel of match officials.
Umpires are rarely the center of attention, and good ones are noticed mainly for what does not go wrong. Dambanevana’s appointments showed that Zimbabwe could produce officials trusted with the sport’s most important matches.
Tributes to Sarah Dambanevana
Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said Dambanevana served her country well, first as a player and later as an official whose skill took her to world level. Seeing her officiate a World Cup final, he said, was a proud moment for the cricket community and the country.
Her death leaves what he called “a painful void in our cricket family,” though he added that her example would keep inspiring those who follow.
Zimbabwe Cricket also offered condolences to her family, friends and everyone who worked with her, and said it will remember her dedication, professionalism and readiness to help others develop.
Her path matters beyond Zimbabwe. Women have only recently begun to officiate major tournaments in large numbers, and Dambanevana was among those who helped open that door for others.
Local media had followed her rise closely. Zimbabwean newspapers ran profiles of her progress, including pieces on how her climb reflected the growth of women’s cricket in the country.
She was 36, and by the measure of an umpiring career, still early in it. Umpires often work into their 50s and beyond, which is why the tributes have stressed how much lay ahead.
Zimbabwe’s wider cricket community has lost a player, an official and a respected role model. Her name will stay in the record books as the first Zimbabwean woman to umpire a World Cup final.
