Bangladesh had Sri Lanka in a tight spot after electing to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. At the halfway point of the innings, Sri Lanka was struggling at 135/4. The Tigers were in a dominant position, needing just one more wicket to gain complete control in a rather unusual turn of events that would be etched in both World Cup and international cricket history.
In the 25th over, after Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Sadeera Samawickarama on the second ball, it was Angelo Mathews’ turn to take the crease. Mathews walked out but realized that the strap of his helmet was broken just as he was about to face the first ball. He requested a replacement from the dugout, leading to a momentous situation. While the players waited for the new helmet, the Bangladesh team gathered in a huddle.
In a display of remarkable game awareness, Tigers’ captain Shakib Al Hasan recognized that the process was taking too long and quietly appealed to the umpire to have Mathews timed out.
According to Law 40.1.1 in MCC’s rulebook, “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batsman, the incoming batsman must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batsman to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batsman will be out, Timed out.” However, the World Cup playing conditions specified a two-minute time interval, taking precedence over the MCC laws.
The umpires upheld the appeal, and Mathews was asked to leave the field, leading to an angry reaction from the 35-year-old. Mathews approached Shakib to argue his case, but the Bangladesh skipper appeared apologetic, emphasizing that he was following the rulebook. After a lengthy discussion with the umpires, which involved passionate persuasion, Mathews had no choice but to comply, becoming the first batsman in international cricket history to be timed out.
As he walked back to the pavilion, he expressed his frustration to the dugout, indicating that he couldn’t control the fact that his helmet was broken, and he flung it in frustration at the LED sideboard. Captain Kusal Mendis also tried to address the issue with the fourth umpire on the sidelines but without success, prompting a flurry of reactions on social media.