Angelo Mathews becomes first player timed out in men's international cricket

The Sri Lanka allrounder was given out by umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth following an appeal from Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan

Nick Friend | 06/11/2023 at 11:00

Angelo Mathews has become the first player to be timed out in men's international cricket.

The Sri Lanka allrounder was given out by umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth following an appeal from Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Mathews arrived at the crease within the two-minute time limit laid out in the playing conditions for this World Cup but found that his helmet strap had broken, which meant he wasn't ready to face his first delivery.

The Laws of the game, as written out by the MCC, state a three-minute allowance for batters, but playing conditions take precedence.

On commentary, former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis described the appeal as "against the spirit of the game", but – much like other recent controversial dismissals, such as Jonny Bairstow's Ashes stumping at Lord's – there was nothing in the appeal that contravened the Laws.

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^{Mathews was livid as he left the field (Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images)}

As per playing condition 40.1.1: "After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out."

Mathews was visibly angry once the decision was made, hurling his helmet off as he left the field and then remonstrating with a member of Sri Lanka's backroom staff once he entered the tunnel. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis was also seen in conversation with Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. Half an hour later, Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood was seen talking to fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock.

The mode of dismissal has been utilised very rarely even in domestic cricket: Andrew Harris, the former Nottinghamshire seamer, was given timed out in a pre-season match against Durham UCCE in 2003, when he failed to reach the crease in time owing to a groin strain.

In 2014, Ryan Austin – playing for Combined Campuses and Colleges in West Indies' four-day competition – was given out against Winward Islands, having earlier taken a first-innings eight-wicket haul.