In a historic first for international cricket, Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka was dismissed “timed out” during the Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh. Mathews failed to face his first ball within two minutes of the previous dismissal, leading the umpire to rule him out following an appeal from Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan. However, Shakib revealed after the match that the appeal was not his original idea.
According to Shakib, one of his fielders approached him and suggested that if he appealed, Mathews would be out. The umpire questioned Shakib’s seriousness, but ultimately had to follow the rules and give Mathews out. Shakib admitted that he did what he had to do and acknowledged that there would be debates about the decision. He also admitted that the timed out appeal helped his team during the match.
While the identity of the fielder who approached Shakib was not revealed, it is believed to be Najmul Hossain Shanto, as he was seen talking to the captain and appealing during the incident. Mathews, on the other hand, criticized Bangladesh’s decision to dismiss him via timed out, calling it “disgraceful” and stating that it left him in “complete shock.” He argued that he had two minutes to get ready, but an equipment malfunction delayed him slightly. Mathews believed that common sense should have prevailed in this situation.
The match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi amidst severe air pollution. Bangladesh’s victory in this match officially knocked Sri Lanka out of the World Cup. Mathews’ dismissal via timed out was a significant moment in the match and caused controversy and criticism from fans and experts.
It remains to be seen how this incident will impact future matches and the interpretation of the rules regarding timed out dismissals. For now, Mathews and Shakib’s statements have sparked a debate about the fairness and practicality of this particular rule in international cricket.
