In a historic international cricket clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Delhi, Angelo Mathews faced a unique dismissal when he was timed out for the first time in the format. This intriguing incident occurred in the 25th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, right after Sadeera Samarawickrama’s wicket fell, and Mathews stepped in to bat at the sixth position. However, before he could even face a single ball, he was compelled to head back to the pavilion due to the rare occurrence of being timed out, marking a noteworthy first in international cricket across all formats.
Angelo Mathews, an experienced Sri Lankan all-rounder, who had been called in as a replacement player for the World Cup, found himself in an unexpected situation when Bangladesh decided to take their time resolving an issue with their helmet while he was making his entry. During this sequence, Shakib Al Hasan took the wicket of Samarawickrama, and Mahmudullah managed to grab the catch.
Mathews took his time while entering the field, and he encountered a helmet mishap as the strap broke while he was securing it. As he signaled for a new helmet in the dressing room, Shakib and the Bangladesh team raised an “appeal for time out,” which the umpires upheld, leaving Mathews visibly frustrated.
A lengthy discussion ensued between Mathews, the Bangladesh team, and the umpires, but the appeal was not retracted, and he had no choice but to return to the dressing room, reflecting his evident disappointment. The rules regarding “timed out” dismissal in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 are as follows:
In accordance with rule 40.1.1, after a wicket falls or a batsman retires, the incoming batsman must be prepared to face deliveries within two minutes unless signaled otherwise or be ready to face the next delivery within the same time frame. Failure to do so results in the incoming batter being declared out, and a time-out is taken. This rule also applies to retirements or substitutions.
Mathews took more than two minutes to face his first delivery due to the helmet strap issue, and after the appeal, he had to return to the pavilion.
During the break, Adrian Holdstock, the fourth official, offered an explanation of the dismissal and the associated regulations. He pointed out that the circumstances of the ICC Cricket World Cup breach the laws of cricket set by MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club).
Holdstock elaborated, “We have certain protocols in place, and the TV umpire oversees the situation for two minutes. Then, the message is relayed to the on-field umpires, and in today’s case, the batter was not prepared to face deliveries within those two minutes due to a strap issue.”
When asked whether equipment failure could be taken into account, Holdstock emphasized the importance of ensuring that everything is in order before stepping onto the field.
The incident involving Mathews is a first in international cricket, while there have been six instances of batsmen being timed out in first-class cricket, making it a unique and intriguing aspect of the game.
