“Had the Umpires…”: MCC Clarifies Angelo Mathews’ “Video Proof” Controversy Regarding Timed Out Decision

Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews made history in the ongoing Cricket World Cup by becoming the first player to be timed out in the 146-year history of international cricket. The controversy arose when Mathews arrived at the crease after the two-minute deadline, following Sadeera Samarawickrama’s dismissal, due to an equipment malfunction. Mathews expressed his frustration towards the fourth umpire and criticized Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan’s behavior as “disgraceful”.

To support his claims, Mathews shared a “video evidence” showing that he still had “5 more seconds”. He posted a screenshot displaying the exact time of Samarawickrama’s dismissal and his arrival at the crease.

However, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the governing body of cricket, released a statement addressing the incident. They argued that Mathews should have signaled to the umpires when his helmet strap broke, allowing them to grant him extra time to fix his equipment.

The MCC stated, “Had the umpires been informed of a significant, justifiable, equipment-related delay within the two-minute allowance, they could have treated it as a new type of delay, possibly even calling Time, allowing for a resolution of that delay without the batter being at risk of being timed out. However, it is important to note that both umpires determined the delay came after the two minutes had elapsed, and that Time had not been called before the appeal.”

The statement also highlighted Mathews’ actions during the incident. It mentioned that Mathews took more than 90 seconds to reach the 30-yard circle and only realized he was short on time at the last moment, jogging to the wicket. The helmet malfunction occurred 1 minute and 54 seconds after the previous wicket had fallen, and Mathews had not yet taken guard or positioned himself to receive the ball.

The MCC further explained that Mathews did not consult with the umpires when his helmet broke, as a player would typically do when seeking new equipment. Instead, he simply signaled to the dressing room for a replacement. If Mathews had explained the situation to the umpires and requested time to resolve the issue, they might have allowed him to change the helmet, possibly calling Time and avoiding the possibility of being timed out. However, since Time had not been called and more than two minutes had passed at the time of the appeal, the umpires correctly ruled Mathews out. According to the Laws of Cricket, there was no alternative action for the umpires to take.

The incident has sparked discussions on the importance of communication between players and umpires during equipment-related delays. This controversy serves as a reminder for players to notify the officials promptly when facing such issues to avoid being timed out.