Why Angelo Mathews was dismissed before facing a ball? 1st incident of time -out in international cricket of time -out in international cricket

In a rare occurrence in international cricket, Angelo Mathews was dismissed via a timed-out ruling.

Mathews strolled to the crease, only to face helmet trouble when the strap snapped just as he prepared to take guard. While he signaled to the dressing room for a replacement helmet, Shakib and the Bangladesh team swiftly lodged an appeal for a “timed out” dismissal, a decision the umpires ultimately confirmed, much to Mathews’ disappointment.

Despite Mathews engaging in a lengthy discussion with the Bangladesh players and the umpires, the appeal was not retracted, leaving him with no choice but to leave the field, clearly disheartened.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 playing conditions pertaining to “timed out” dismissals reads thus:

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 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.

Mathews required more than two minutes to take his stance before the strap issue arose, leading to his dismissal following the appeal.

What did the match official say?

During the innings break, the fourth official, Adrian Holdstock, provided clarification regarding the dismissal and the governing rules. He emphasized that the ICC World Cup playing conditions take precedence over the MCC laws of cricket.

Holdstock elucidated, stating, “We have specific protocols in place, and the TV umpire closely monitors a two-minute time frame. Subsequently, the TV umpire communicates with the on-field umpires. In this particular instance, this afternoon, the batter wasn’t prepared to receive the ball within those two minutes, even prior to the issue with the strap coming undone.”

In response to queries about whether equipment failure could be considered, Holdstock elaborated, stressing that it was the batter’s responsibility to ensure that all their equipment was in proper order before stepping onto the field. He stated, “It’s important to ensure that all your equipment is in order, as you need to be ready to receive the ball within two minutes. This readiness means being in position, with all equipment in place, ideally within about 15 seconds, prior to actually receiving the ball.

First incident of time -out in international cricket:

This marked the inaugural instance of a batter being dismissed under the “timed out” law in international cricket, encompassing both men’s and women’s matches.

In a reminiscent incident from 2007, Sourav Ganguly found himself in a similar predicament during a Test match against South Africa. He took over six minutes to make his way to the crease due to a peculiar series of events. However, the then South African captain, Graeme Smith, opted not to lodge an appeal, allowing Ganguly to continue his batting innings.

Intriguingly, Sachin Tendulkar, who was slated to come in at No. 4, was unable to do so since he had been off the field during South Africa’s innings. Simultaneously, VVS Laxman was reportedly in the shower, resulting in Ganguly, unprepared for the situation, hastily taking the No. 4 position.

While Angelo Mathews’ timed-out incident stands as an unprecedented occurrence in international cricket, there have been six instances of batters experiencing the same fate in first-class cricket.