Angelo Mathews, an experienced all-rounder for Sri Lanka, was dismissed prematurely, a move that made headlines recently. This incident occurred during Sri Lanka’s 38th ODI World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka was batting first at the time, and Angelo Mathews struck in the middle order.
He lost even more time before he could face the ball because his helmet’s chin strap broke as he was getting set to take on the bowler. Mathews was dismissed for the first time in international cricket history as the captain of Bangladesh appealed to the umpire.
However, according to a recent ESPNcricinfo report, the umpires informed Mathews in advance of how much time he had left to face a delivery. Richard Illingworth informed the seasoned player that he had 30 seconds remaining to face the ball before he might have been called for a timeout.
After the game, though, Angelo Mathews came forward to say that the referees had the option to disqualify him based on “common sense,” since he could not have taken a ball without making sure his helmet was still in place.
The ICC rules stipulate that the batter must be ready to go two minutes after a wicket falls. A minute and ten seconds after a wicket fell, Mathews came in to bat. When he got to the crease, he was told he had thirty seconds remaining.
But rather than telling the referees that his chin strap had come loose, Angelo Mathews gestured to the dugout for a substitute. In order to effectively manage time, the rule stipulates that the batter must notify the on-field umpires of any changes in gear. But two minutes and thirty seconds had already elapsed due to the helmet incident, and Shakib Al Hasan’s appeal to the umpires resulted in Angelo Mathews dismissal without having to face a single delivery during a stoppage.
In the press conference held after the game, the 36-year-old had a lot of opinions. He even suggested that a malfunctioning piece of equipment should be considered a separate delay rather than a timed-out dismissal.