A new controversy rocked the cricketing world on November 6 after Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews became the first player to be timed out. The freak incident occurred in the Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
After the Lankans lost Sadeera Samarawickrama in the 25th over of the first innings, in walked Mathews. However, it was the walk and his short stay at the crease that will be remembered forever. So, let’s take a deep dive into the history and rules of time-out in cricket.
What is time out in cricket?
As per ICC rules, after a batter is dismissed, the next batter to come in must be ready to face a ball within 2 minutes. While the ICC rule states that the batter must reach the crease within 2 minutes, the MCC differs on the matter. Compared to the ICC, the MCC gives the batter coming next 3 minutes to face the next ball.
The official ICC rule states – 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.
Who was the first player to be timed out in international cricket?
Angelo Mathews is the first and only player to be timed out in international cricket.
Who was the first player to be timed out in cricket?
Andrew Jordaan is the first player to time out in cricket. The incident occurred in a first-class match between Eastern Province and Transvaal. However, this dismissal occurred not due to the negligence of the batter but due to inclement weather, as the streets of Port Elizabeth (where the match was happening) were flooded at the time.
Has an Indian player been timed out in cricket?
The only incident of an Indian player being timed out came in the 1997–98 Ranji Trophy season. In a first-class match between Tripura and Orissa (now Odisha), Hemulal Yadav was timed out after the Tripura batter was involved in a conversation with his team manager and failed to reach the pitch on time and therefore was timed out.
How many players have been timed out in cricket?
Including the Angelo Mathews dismissal, 7 players have been timed out in all of cricket. Here is the list of players to be dismissed under the time out rule in cricket:
- Andrew Jordaan – Eastern Province vs Transvaal (1987–88)
- Hemulal Yadav – Tripura v Orissa (1997–98)
- Vasbert Drakes – Border v Free State (2002)
- AJ Harris – Nottinghamshire v Durham UCCE (2003)
- Ryan Austin – Combined Campuses and Colleges v Windward Islands (2013–14)
- Charles Kunje – Matabeleland Tuskers v Mountaineers (2017-18)
- Angelo Mathews – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (2023)
