Angelo Mathews becomes first player in international cricket to be timed out during Sri Lanka’s loss to Bangladesh at World Cup; Mathews had issue with helmet strap and not ready to face delivery within required two minutes; Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan does not withdraw appeal
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was controversially timed out in a first for international cricket during a World Cup defeat to Bangladesh that ended his side’s slim semi-final hopes.
Mathews noticed the strap on his helmet was broken, called for a new piece of headwear, and was not ready to face his first delivery within the required two minutes after coming in at No 6 for Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed for the batter’s wicket and Mathews was subsequently given his marching orders by the on-field umpires in a remarkable moment during Monday’s match.
The MCC Laws say a batter must be ready to face the first delivery within three minutes but the ICC playing conditions for the Cricket World Cup – which supersede the MCC Laws – stipulate that it is two minutes.
With Shakib choosing not to withdraw his appeal, a fuming Mathews was dismissed, chucking his helmet to the floor in rage after leaving the pitch.
Mathews had appeared to tell Shakib that the delay only happened because of his helmet breaking but the Bangladesh skipper would not change his mind.
Sri Lanka went on to make 279 all out, a total already-eliminated Bangladesh topped with 54 balls to spare to win by three wickets and knock their opponents out of top-four contention.
Fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock explain why Mathews was dismissed – and says two minutes had elapsed before his helmet strap became an issue
Bangladesh captain Al Hasan said: “One of our fielders came to me and said that if I appealed, he would be out.
“The umpire asked me if I was serious. It’s in the laws; I don’t know if it’s right or wrong.
“I felt like I was at war. Whatever I had to do, I did it. There will be debates. Today that (the time out) helped, I won’t deny that!”
Sri Lanka captain Mendis said: “It’s very disappointing. When Mathews came to the crease, there were five seconds left.
“When he came out, he found out about the strap of the helmet. It was disappointing. We expected him to score runs for us; it’s disappointing that the umpires couldn’t step in and make good decisions.”
‘Two minutes had elapsed before helmet strap became an issue’
Fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock:
“The fourth umpire monitors the two minutes and will then relay the message to the on-field umpires. On this occasion, the batter [Mathews] was not in a position to receive the ball even before the strap became an issue for him. The two minutes had been elapsed.
“As a batsman you need to make sure all your equipment is in place. You have to be ready to receive the ball in two minutes, not just take your guard. So technically you need to be in place after around 15 seconds so you can get ready to receive the ball.”
Against the spirit of the game?
Speaking after scoring 108 for Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka said he felt Mathews’ dismissal was “not good for the spirit of cricket”.
Here’s what the pundits made of it…
World Cup commentator and former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis:
“I didn’t enjoy what I saw – I always believe in the spirit of the game. Yes, within the Laws of the game, he may be out but I didn’t like it in terms of the spirit of the game. The appeal and whole drama, I thought it was a bit too much for my liking.”
World Cup commentator and ex-Bangladesh batter Athar Ali Khan:
“I don’t like what I’m seeing, it is not good for the game. It’s against the spirit of the game, that’s how I feel about it.
“If something goes wrong with the helmet you should be allowed an extra couple of minutes to fix it. It is the first time we’re seeing this in cricket, it is not good scenes, I would have definitely called him back.
“Shakib, worried about the over-rate, was well within his rights to do what he did but I don’t think I would have done it. It doesn’t look good but Shakib is well within his rights to appeal.”
World Cup commentator and former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja:
“To a certain degree, it is an onus on cricketers to learn the rules and understand the spirit of the rules. Most of us don’t, but the umpires were on top of the situation. It was a tough call to make.
“You’ve got back the Law here and be more understanding of what you’re trying to do and what the Law is.”
How cricket reacted on social media
What do the MCC Laws say?
40.1 Out Timed out
40.1.1 After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.
40.1.2 In the event of an extended delay in which no batter comes to the wicket, the umpires shall adopt the procedure of Law 16.3 (Umpires awarding a match). For the purposes of that Law the start of the action shall be taken as the expiry of the 3 minutes referred to above.
40.2 Bowler does not get credit
The bowler does not get credit for the wicket
What do the ICC playing regulations stipulate?
“After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”
How Bangladesh eliminated Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka set Bangladesh a target of 280 as Charith Asalanka scored 108 runs from 105 balls, with six fours and five sixes helping him on his way.
Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka produced the goods for his nation at a much-needed time as his century helps them put up 279 runs against Bangladesh.
The next highest scorer Sadeera Samarawickrama (41) and Pathum Nissanka (41) were the next highest scorers for Sri Lanka, while the highlight of the innings was a superb one-handed catch from Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim to dismiss Kusal Perera (4) early on.
Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera at the Cricket World Cup.
In the chase, Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) and Shakib Al Hasan (82) anchored Bangladesh’s innings.
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews removes Shakib Al Hasan and proceeds to give him a cheeky send off as he points to his watch having been earlier timed out before he could bat.
Mathews also got revenge for his controversial timing out when he dismissed Al Hasan, a leading edge down the ground being caught by Asalanka, and tapped his sweatband to indicate time was up.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
