Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews has criticised opponents Bangladesh for the appeal that led to him becoming the first player to be timed out in 146 years of international cricket during their World Cup clash in Delhi.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed to the umpire for the batter’s wicket as Mathews, who had called for a replacement helmet after appearing to notice his strap was broken, was not ready to face his first ball within the two minutes required by the competition rules.
Bangladesh went on to record a three-wicket win that eliminated Sri Lanka from the competition and Mathews said at a post-match press conference: “It is obviously disgraceful from Shakib and Bangladesh.
“If they want to play cricket like that and stoop down to that level, there’s something wrong, drastically. Up to today I had the utmost respect for him and the Bangladesh team.”
Shakib stood by his decision, insisting that it was within the rules of the game. He said in a post-match interview: “One of our fielders came to me and said that if I appealed, he would be out.
“The umpire asked me if I was serious. It’s in the laws, I don’t know if it’s right or wrong.”
Smiling, Shakib continued: “I felt like I was at war. Whatever I had to do, I did it. There will be debates. Today that (the time out) helped, I won’t deny that.”
After much deliberation and no withdrawal of the appeal, Mathews was forced to walk off the field having not faced a ball.
The World Cup rules state that “after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, timed out.”
Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was disappointed with the events he saw on the field.
He said on Sky Sports: “I didn’t enjoy what I saw out there.
“The spirit of the game, I always believe in that and the appeal and whole drama, I thought it was a bit too much for my liking.
“He came at the crease and he was standing there when he tried to pull that strap and the strap came off and he was just asking for another helmet.
“Yes, he came out a little bit late and in the law of the game he is out, but spirit of the game, I didn’t like it.”
Fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock explained the decision making and revealed Mathews had already gone beyond two minutes before he realised his helmet strap was broken.
He said: “When it comes to timed out, the incoming batter has to be in position and ready to receive a ball within two minutes and we have certain protocols where the TV umpire at a fall of the wicket monitors the two minutes and he will relay the message on to the on-field umpires.
“In the instance this afternoon, the batter wasn’t ready to receive the ball within those two minutes, even before the strap became an issue.
“The fielding captain initiated the appeal to Marais Erasmus that he wanted to appeal for timed out.”
Bangladesh went on to take their second victory of the tournament with a three-wicket win.
Charith Asalanka’s second one-day international century proved to be in vain as he helped Sri Lanka reach 279.
In reply, a key partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) and Shakib (82) took the game away from Sri Lanka as Bangladesh picked up their first win since their opening fixture against Afghanistan.