In Monday’s intense match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews’ “timed out” dismissal in the 25th over of Sri Lanka’s innings has stirred controversy. This marks the first such occurrence in international cricket history.
Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh skipper, maintained his resolve to file an appeal after being informed of the possibility by a teammate during Angelo Mathews’ helmet mishap. Shakib explained during the post-match press conference, “One of our fielders came to me and said, if you appeal, the law says he’s out because he hasn’t taken his guard within the time frame.” When asked by the umpires if he would call Mathews back, Shakib declined, citing the rules.
Meanwhile, Angelo Mathews presented video evidence on social media to support his claim that he had reached the crease to face the ball within two minutes of a fellow player’s dismissal. In a World Cup match against Bangladesh, he became the first player in cricket history to be dismissed for “timed out” after Shakib Al Hasan’s appeal. The video clearly shows Mathews reaching the crease on time and being ready to face the delivery before the helmet strap broke. In his post, he stated, “I rest my case! Here you go, you decide.”
Shakib, who has played against Mathews for a long time, stated, “I know him very well; he knows me very well.” Mathews approached him to discuss the situation, but Shakib stood by his decision, emphasizing, “It was in the rules that a batter has to come to the crease within that certain period of time, and he wasn’t there at that time.