Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews has become the first player in international cricket to be dismissed through a timed-out appeal at the Cricket World Cup. The incident occurred during a match against Bangladesh in Delhi. Mathews, who came in to bat in the 25th over, realized that the strap of his helmet was not properly secured. As he waited for a replacement helmet, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed for a timed-out dismissal. Despite Mathews pleading with the umpires, Shakib did not withdraw his appeal, resulting in Mathews being dismissed. This rare occurrence has sparked controversy and criticism from former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir and South African cricketer Dale Steyn. Both expressed their dissatisfaction with the incident on social media. Additionally, there has been a debate among players and fans about whether Mathews’ dismissal goes against the spirit of cricket. Australian batter Usman Khawaja questioned the decision, arguing that Mathews had made his crease before his helmet strap broke. He compared it to a batsman taking three minutes to face up after reaching the crease. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) playing conditions for the 2023 World Cup state that an incoming batter must be ready to receive the ball within two minutes of a dismissal or retirement. Failure to meet this requirement results in a timed-out dismissal. While this is the first instance of a timed-out dismissal in international cricket, there have been six such cases in domestic cricket.
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