In a first for international cricket, Angelo Mathews faced the unusual dismissal of being timed out during a match, sparking a debate in the cricketing world. The incident unfolded when Mathews, after arriving at the crease on time, hesitated to face a delivery due to a malfunction with his helmet strap. As he sought to change his gear, opposing player Shakib Al Hasan made an appeal for a time-out dismissal, which the umpires upheld, leading to Mathews' departure from the field.
Renowned cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on this unique occurrence on his YouTube channel. He opined that while Mathews had legitimate grounds to feel aggrieved, Shakib was also within his rights to make the appeal.
"One side is talking about the rules and another side is talking about the spirit of cricket. When Mathews came out to bat, his helmet was not okay, and he wanted to change that. I saw another video where Shakib did not bring his guard against Sri Lanka and he was allowed to bring it later. It has almost become warfare between these two countries," Ashwin said.
"Actually with timed-out, yes Shakib appealed and the umpire gave it out, agreed. Recently, there has been information that Mathews was already warned by the umpires about the timed-out dismissal. But Mathews was really upset that he got out, and rightly so. No one should get out like that, everyone will feel bad about that," he further added.
Ashwin then shared a personal anecdote from the India vs Australia Test match in Nagpur, where he intentionally slowed his walk to the crease during the final session, aiming to prolong the day's play. He revealed that the umpire had warned him of a potential timed-out dismissal if the Australians had appealed.
Concluding the discussion, Ashwin emphasised that both Mathews and Shakib were justified from their respective perspectives. However, he also reflected on the intense rivalry in international cricket, likening it to a form of 'warfare', a sentiment echoed by Shakib post-match.
"Both Angelo Mathews and Shakib Al Hasan were right. One person knew the rule and the other person asked if he could let it go since it was a helmet malfunction. The affected party is certainly the one who got out," Ashwin concluded.
Shakib's comment about being in the midst of a 'war' and making decisions for his team's benefit underlines the highly competitive nature of the sport and the pressures that come with it. This incident highlights the strategic intricacies and the complex moral judgments that are inherent in the game of cricket.
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