Timed out – that is one cricket term that went viral on Monday. It all started with Sri Lanka’ s Angelo Mathews becoming the first cricketer in international cricket to be timed out with Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan appealing for the dismissal. The incident happened in the 25th over when the 36-year-old walked out to bat after the dismissal of Sadeera Samarawickrama but found that the helmet strap was broken and immediately signalled for a replacement instead of facing the bowler Shakib Al Hasan.
This prompted Bangladesh to appeal for a ‘time out’. Mathews was seen having an animated discussion with umpire Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth, explaining that he had some issue with the helmet strap. He also approached Shakib, who didn’t withdraw his appeal and the Sri Lankan cricketer was forced to leave the field.
A furious Mathews, who made a late entry into the World Cup as a replacement player, walked back to the dug out, smashing his helmet outside the boundary rope in disgust.
However, later, Angelo Mathews had the perfect payback as he dismissed Shakib Al Hasan. And then gestured ‘time to go’ with a sarcastic smile on his face.
According to article 40.1.1 of the ICC playing conditions for the 2023 World Cup, “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.” Article 40.1.2 says: “In the event of an extended delay in which no batter comes to the wicket, the umpires shall adopt the procedure of Law 16.3 (ICC Match referee awarding a match). For the purposes of that clause the start of the action shall be taken as the expiry of the two minutes referred to above.”
Though it has never happened in international cricket, there have been six such instances in domestic cricket, including one in the match between Tripura and Orissa at Cuttack in 1997 when Hemulal Yadav was at the receiving end.
The dismissal, the first instance in international cricket across all formats, including women’s cricket, thus added another another chapter in the bitter rivalry between the two teams.
With PTI inputs
Topics mentioned in this article