In the thrilling landscape of international cricket, where the adrenaline of fans and players is always at its peak, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 witnessed a remarkable moment that etched itself into the annals of cricket history. This extraordinary occurrence became the center of attention during the Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka game, leaving the cricketing world in awe and astonishment.
The match was progressing with the usual fervor when Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan stalwart, was set to come to the crease. However, destiny had something unique in store for this particular moment. As Mathews was about to take his guard, he encountered an unforeseen glitch – his helmet malfunctioned. This seemingly minor technical issue would soon lead to a sequence of events that would make headlines worldwide.
Mathews, demonstrating his commitment to safety, immediately requested a new helmet to replace the faulty one. However, this seemingly simple request turned out to be more consequential than anyone could have imagined. The process of replacing the helmet took a little longer than expected, causing Mathews to be late by more than three minutes.
Shakib Al Hasan, the captain of the Bangladeshi team, noticed the delay and seized the opportunity. He made an appeal to the umpire, invoking the ‘Timed Out’ rule – a rare and uncommon dismissal in cricket, where a batsman can be declared out if they take more than three minutes to take their position at the crease. In this case, the delay was entirely unintentional, arising from the helmet malfunction.
As Shakib upheld the appeal, a wave of controversy swept through the cricketing world. Critics took to social media platforms, lambasting Shakib Al Hasan for what they perceived as an unethical move. Even some Sri Lankan players seemed visibly upset by the turn of events. The decision to enforce the ‘Timed Out’ dismissal in such circumstances was debated hotly across cricketing circles.
This incident in the Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka match brings to light the peculiarities and intricacies of cricketing rules. In a sport that values fairness and sportsmanship, it raises questions about whether rules should be applied with strict adherence or adjusted to suit the spirit of the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin Discloses That He Could Have Been Timed Out In The Nagpur Test Vs Australia
Interestingly, this incident is not the first time such an incident has occurred in cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin, a prominent Indian cricketer, once shared a similar experience. He revealed an incident during a Test match against Australia in Nagpur. Ashwin, the nightwatchman, had planned to delay his arrival at the crease, aiming for the last over of the day and a safe stumps call. To his surprise, the umpire warned him that a delayed arrival could have led to his dismissal if Australia had appealed.
Ashwin said: “In the Nagpur Test against Australia, I went in as the nightwatchman in the first Test. I wanted to go slowly, so that would be the last over of the day and it would be stumps. But then, the umpire told me, “You came to the crease a bit late. Do you know that if they [Australia] have appealed, I would have given you out?” I was really shocked.”
