Cricket history was rewritten during the ICC Cricket World Cup clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as Angelo Mathews, the seasoned Sri Lankan cricketer, became the first player to be dismissed by the rare “timed out” rule in international cricket. The unprecedented incident involving Angelo Mathews dismissal took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, India, under challenging playing conditions.
Angelo Mathews Dismissal: A Unique First
The unusual “timed out” dismissal occurred when Mathews took to the crease after the fall of Sadeera Samarawickrama’s wicket in the 25th over of the game. However, Mathews faced an unforeseen hindrance as the chinstrap of his helmet had broken, causing a delay in the resumption of play. Struggling with the malfunctioning helmet, Mathews gestured to the dressing room, signaling the need for a replacement.
Cricket’s playing regulations demand that a new batsman be prepared to face the bowler within two minutes of the previous batsman’s dismissal. In this case, as Mathews awaited a teammate, Chamika Karunaratne, to bring a new helmet, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, seized the opportunity to appeal for a “timed out” dismissal.
The on-field umpire, Marais Erasmus, upheld the appeal, resulting in Mathews’ historic dismissal by this rare rule. Following the appeal, a prolonged discussion took place among the players, including Mathews, who expressed his frustration before reluctantly leaving the field. It was a moment of cricketing history that left Mathews shaking his head in disbelief, and he even tossed his malfunctioning helmet aside as he crossed the boundary.
What Does Cricket Rulebook Says About It?
The regulations of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 concerning “timed out” dismissals are as follows:
According to section 40.1.1 of these playing conditions, once a wicket falls or a batter retires, the incoming batsman must, unless the match has been temporarily halted, be prepared to either face the upcoming delivery or allow the other batter to be ready for the next ball within a maximum time frame of 2 minutes following the previous dismissal or retirement. Failure to comply with this stipulation results in the incoming batter being declared “Timed out.”
Unfortunately, Angelo Mathews exceeded the allotted two minutes for his first delivery, even before the strap on his helmet became an issue. Consequently, an appeal was made, leading to his dismissal from the game.
During the innings break, the fourth official, Adrian Holdstock, provided a clarification of the dismissal and the associated regulations. He explained, “We follow specific protocols, with the TV umpire monitoring the two-minute time limit. The TV umpire communicates any breach of this time limit to the on-field umpires. In today’s instance, the batter was unable to get ready to face the ball within the prescribed two minutes, even before the issue with his helmet strap arose.”
When questioned about the possibility of considering equipment failure as a factor, Holdstock further clarified that it was the batter’s responsibility to ensure that all equipment was in proper working order before taking the field.
