MCC backs umpires in Mathews 'time out' debate against Bangladesh
Angelo Mathew discusses with umpires
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Asalanka heroics power Sri Lanka to 49-run win over Australia
12 Feb 25
The officials who oversee the rules of the game, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), announced on Saturday that they believed the umpires had made the right decision when they ruled that Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka had "timed out" during his team's World Cup match against Bangladesh.
When Mathews failed to get ready in the allotted two minutes to face Bangladesh captain and bowler Shakib Al Hasan, whose appeal resulted in Mathews' removal, he became the first player in international cricket history to be ejected for a time ruling.
Before Mathews could take the field, his helmet broke along its chin strap; by the time a replacement came from the Sri Lankan dressing room, the batter was deemed to have exceeded his time allotment.
Mathews subsequently called Bangladesh "disgraceful" and said the umpires lacked common sense while dealing with the "equipment malfunction" in the Monday match in Delhi.
The MCC said Mathews should have drawn the umpires' attention to his broken helmet instead of waiting for a new helmet to arrive.
"It appears that Mathews did not consult with the umpires, which a player would be expected to do when seeking new equipment," the MCC said in a statement.
"Had he explained to the umpires what had happened and asked for time to get it sorted out, they might have allowed him to change the helmet, perhaps calling time and thus removing any possibility of being timed out."
Shakib rejected offers from umpire Marais Erasmus to withdraw the appeal and stuck to his guns when Mathews also asked him to reconsider.
Mathews said it was unsafe to face a bowler with a defective helmet but the MCC said the batter should have involved the umpires to resolve the issue.
"Given that time had not been called, and that at the time of the appeal more than two minutes had elapsed, the umpires correctly gave Mathews out," it said.
Sri Lanka are out of the tournament with two wins from nine matches, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended their membership citing government interference in the running of their board.
