- Angelo Mathews accuses Shakib Al Hasan of cheating during a ‘timed out’ dismissal in the World Cup, calling for justice.
- Mathews provides time-stamped video evidence to support his claim, while the fourth umpire contradicts his account.
- The incident raises questions about sportsmanship and adherence to the “spirit of cricket” in international cricket.
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews, who found himself at the center of a controversial ‘timed out’ dismissal during the World Cup, has taken to social media to express his frustration and call for justice. In a strongly worded post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Mathews accused Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, of cheating in the incident that led to his dismissal.
Mathews had previously voiced his dissatisfaction with Shakib’s appeal in a press conference after Sri Lanka’s World Cup hopes were dashed by the defeat. He described the appeal as “disgraceful.” The incident occurred when Mathews broke the World Cup rule, which states that a new batsman must be ready to face a delivery within two minutes of a wicket falling.
In his X post, Mathews provided time-stamped video screenshots to support his claim, stating, “Video evidence shows I still had five more seconds even after the helmet gave away!” He emphasized the importance of safety and requested justice for what he considered a clear case of cheating.
I rest my case! Here you go you decide ???????? pic.twitter.com/AUT0FGffqV
— Angelo Mathews (@Angelo69Mathews) November 7, 2023
However, the fourth umpire, Adrian Holdstock, contradicted Mathews’ version of events. Holdstock argued that Mathews was not prepared to receive the ball within the stipulated two minutes even before the helmet strap issue arose, suggesting that a batsman should have all their equipment in place and be ready to face a delivery within the allocated time.
Mathews received support from various quarters, including former South African bowler Dale Steyn, who criticized the incident, and Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, who called it “ridiculous.” Former Indian captain Gautam Gambhir labeled it “pathetic,” and Pakistan’s Waqar Younis expressed his disappointment, stating that the incident did not reflect the spirit of cricket.
Absolutely rubbish firstly asking by Shakib and thn umpires giving Angelo Matthew’s out like that totally nonsense #patheticrules #BANvSL @Angelo69Mathews @ICC
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) November 6, 2023
Absolutely pathetic what happened in Delhi today! #AngeloMathews
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 6, 2023
Angelo made his crease then his helmet strap broke. How is that timed out? I'm all for timed out if he doesn't make his crease but this is ridic. No different then a batsman getting to the crease then taking 3 minutes to face up ????????♂️#cricketworldcup
— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) November 6, 2023
Notably, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif highlighted Shakib’s role in the appeal, noting that he had not reconsidered even after being questioned by the on-field umpires. The incident sparked a debate over sportsmanship and adherence to the “spirit of cricket” in the competitive world of international cricket.
Also, see:
Sri Lanka Cricket sacked after poor World Cup campaign
