New Delhi – Sri Lanka’s all-rounder Angelo Matthews made history on Monday as the first international cricketer to be “timed out” during a World Cup match against Bangladesh. Matthews walked out to bat after the dismissal of Sadeera Samarawickrama but encountered issues with his helmet strap and called for a replacement, leading Bangladesh to appeal for a “time out”. Despite explaining the situation to umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth, Matthews was asked to leave the field.
This unusual incident was governed article 40.1.1 of the ICC rules, which states that the incoming batter must be ready to receive the ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. Failure to do so results in being declared “Timed out”. Additionally, according to article 40.1.2, if there is an extended delay and no batter comes to the wicket, the umpires may apply Law 16.3, in which the ICC Match referee can award the match.
Mathews’ dismissal, which was not credited to any bowler, left Sri Lanka struggling at 135 for 5 in 24.2 overs. While this is the first instance of “timed out” in international cricket, similar incidents have occurred in domestic cricket, such as the case of Hemulal Yadav during a match between Tripura and Orissa in 1997.