Bangladesh picked up their second win in the current World Cup. They beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in their eighth match. But more talked about than this win is Angelo Mathews’ ‘timed out’. Angelo Mathews was timed out for the first time in the 146-year history of international cricket. The Lankan batsman wasted time while changing his helmet in Delhi during the match against Bangladesh. Then Tiger captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed to the umpire. The cricket world saw this out for the first time.
Angelo Mathews’ ‘timed out’ is the cricketing world. Former cricketers have been discussing and criticizing the issue. Mathews’s dismissal was explained by Shakib at the press conference after the match.
Shakib said, ‘One of our fielders came to me and said, if I apply then he (Mathews) will be out. Then I pleaded and the umpire asked me if I was serious. It is in the rules; I don’t know if it is wrong or right.’
Shakib felt like he was in a war, ‘I felt like I was in a war, so I did what I had to do. It will be debated. But if it’s in the rules, I won’t hesitate to take that chance. Of course, I will not deny that it (timed out) helped us.’
Angelo Mathews is angry at being ‘timed out’ in view of Bangladesh’s appeal. Mathews and his team did not shake hands with Shakib at the end of the match. In the press conference after the match, he expressed his anger and said that after this match, they do not have the same respect for Bangladesh as before. He also commented that what Shakib and Bangladesh have done is disrespectful. Meanwhile, the fourth umpire on the field, Adrian Holdstock, said, “(In such a tournament) ICC’s World Cup playing conditions will prevail in place of MCC’s cricket laws.” In case of timed out, the new batsman must be ready to play the ball within two minutes.’
‘The TV umpire takes care of these two minutes and informs the field umpires. Two minutes had passed before (Mathews) had trouble with the strap (of the helmet) in this incident and the batsman was not ready to play the ball. Two minutes had already expired. According to the playing conditions, the captain of the fielding team appealed to the field umpire for a timed out,” added Holdstock.
(07 November/NBW)