Angelo Mathews, the seasoned Sri Lankan all-rounder, found himself entangled in an unprecedented episode in international cricket. He became the first cricketer to face a timed-out dismissal in an international match during the World Cup 2023. The drama unfolded during a game against Bangladesh when Mathews was controversially sent off without facing a single delivery, raising questions about the ‘spirit of cricket.’
Mathews, arriving within the ICC time limits for his batting, faced an unusual scenario. While adjusting his helmet, he encountered a malfunction, signaling the dugout for a spare helmet without the umpire’s consent. This triggered an appeal from the Bangladesh captain, Shakib Al Hasan, leading to the timed-out dismissal under specific ICC rules.
The fallout sparked debates on cricketing norms. Mathews denounced Shakib’s appeal as “disgraceful,” amplifying the discourse on the ‘spirit of cricket.’ Veteran cricketers sided with Mathews, highlighting inconsistencies in the usage of this dismissal method, bringing into question the interpretation and application of the rule.
“One side is talking about the rules, and another side is talking about the spirit of cricket. When Mathews came out to bat, his helmet was not okay, and he wanted to change that. I saw another video where Shakib did not bring his guard against Sri Lanka, and he was allowed to bring it later. It has almost become warfare between these two countries,” Ashwin said.
Noted Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the debate, emphasizing the disparity in enforcing the timed-out rule. He pointed out an instance where Shakib overlooked a similar rule but escaped a similar fate, highlighting the inconsistency in applying this dismissal method.
“Actually, with timed-out, yes, Shakib appealed, and the umpire gave it out and agreed. Recently, there has been information that the umpires already warned Mathews about the timed-out dismissal. But Mathews was really upset that he got out, and rightly so. No one should get out like that, and everyone will feel bad about that,” he added.
‘I Am Never Going To Be As Good As Him’, Virat Kohli Outstanding Statement After Equalling Sachin’s 49th Hundred Record
While Ashwin acknowledged the legality of Shakib’s appeal, he highlighted the emotional aspect of Mathews’ controversial dismissal. The divergence between the rulebook and the spirit of cricket continues to raise crucial questions, hinting at an emerging dispute between cricketing nations.
Ashwin further shared his personal experience during a Test match, revealing that he, too, was made aware of the timed-out dismissal by an umpire, reflecting the lack of awareness among many teams regarding this dismissal variety.
“I wanted to go slowly so that it would be the last over and be called stumps. But then the umpire told me, ‘You came to the crease a bit late. Do you know that if they had appealed, I would have given you out.’ I was really shocked,” he said as he opined that not many teams are still aware of this dismissal.
