Angelo Mathews made an unusual and historic exit in international cricket when he became the first batter ever to be timed out. This happened because he requested a helmet change after walking onto the pitch, and he wasn’t ready to face the ball within the two-minute limit set by the ICC playing conditions.
As Mathews prepared to face the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan, it was noticed that the strap of his helmet was broken. He promptly called for a replacement. However, since he hadn’t taken his position to face the ball, the umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth ruled him out.
At the time of his dismissal, Bangladesh had already resumed their positions in the field, and Shakib was ready to bowl. The previous batter had been dismissed at 3:49 pm local time, and Mathews was ruled out at 3:54 pm. This indicates that the umpires allowed him more than a minute before making the decision. According to ICC playing conditions, a new batter must be ready to face the first ball within two minutes of arriving.
Mathews passionately argued his case with the umpires, indicating that his helmet strap may have broken only after he had reached the crease, necessitating a replacement. He also had a discussion with Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib.
Despite Mathews’ efforts, the umpires upheld their decision, leading Mathews to leave the field visibly frustrated with the mode of dismissal. This dismissal put Sri Lanka in a challenging position, with the team’s score at 135 for 5.
