Angelo Matthews of Sri Lanka Makes History as the First International Cricketer to be Timed Out
New Delhi – In a World Cup match against Bangladesh, Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Matthews made history on Monday by becoming the first international cricketer to be ‘timed out’. This ruling came after Matthews was not ready to face the ball within two minutes of the fall of a wicket.
The incident occurred when Matthews walked out to bat following the dismissal of Sadeera Samarawickrama. However, he experienced issues with his helmet strap and signalled for a replacement. Bangladesh seized this opportunity to appeal for a ‘time out’.
During the appeal, Matthews engaged in an animated discussion with umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth. He explained that he had a problem with his helmet strap, but despite his explanation, the Sri Lankan cricketer was instructed to leave the field.
The decision to time out Matthews was based on article 40.1.1 of the ICC rules, which states that the incoming batter must be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement, unless Time has been called. Failure to meet this requirement results in the incoming batter being declared out, Timed out.
Additionally, article 40.1.2 specifies that in the event of an extended delay with no batter coming to the wicket, the umpires will follow the procedure outlined in Law 16.3, which may result in the ICC Match referee awarding the match. The start of the action is considered to be the expiration of the aforementioned two minutes.
As a result of being timed out, Matthews’ wicket was not credited to any bowler, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 135 for 5 in 24.2 overs. While this unusual occurrence is unprecedented in international cricket, there have been instances of timed out dismissals in domestic cricket, such as the case between Tripura and Orissa in 1997 when Hemulal Yadav faced a similar fate.
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