MCC issues statement on Angelo Mathews’ timed out dismissal: ‘Had he explained the umpires, they might have allowed him to change the helmet’ | Cricket-world-cup News

Custodians of the laws of cricket, the Marylebone Cricket Club have issued a statement on the Angelo Mathews timed out saga in the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh 2023 ODI World Cup match.
On the all-rounder getting dismissed for not being ready to face the first ball in the stipulated time of under two minutes, the MCC have noted in their statement, “Having taken more than 90 seconds to get to the 30-yard circle, Mathews appeared to notice that he was short on time, jogging the final few yards to the wicket. His helmet malfunction has since been shown to have taken place 1 minute and 54 seconds after the previous wicket had fallen. He had not, at this stage, begun to take guard and was not close to being in a position to receive the ball.
“When the helmet broke, it appears that Mathews did not consult with the umpires, which a player would be expected to do when seeking new equipment. Rather, he just signalled to the dressing room for a replacement. 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. 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. In fact, there was no other action for the umpires to take within the Laws of Cricket.” it further added.
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The incident which took place earlier this week at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has been the talk of the cricket town since. Mathews, who would leave the field livid after being deemed out, would say afterwards that the incident was “Absolutely disgraceful. We all play to win but I never thought a team or player would stoop to such levels to get a wicket.”
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, who’d appealed against Mathews off his own bowling stood his decision. “I have no regrets. I have been playing against Angelo since our U-19 days. I think it was 2006 when we played against each other for the first time. What happened was unfortunate for him, but rules are rules,” he said.
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A big part of the discourse against Shakib and Co has been the ‘spirit of cricket’. Was it right of Bangladesh to claim a wicket in that manner? On the debate, the MCC have offered their stance.
“At the Spirit of Cricket’s core are the values of respect and fair play, yet its application is interpretive, as issues considered to be totally reasonable in the eyes of some may be deemed unacceptable to others,” the club said in its statement.

“It is recognised that there are times when players will choose not to complete certain dismissals, not to appeal or, upon reflection, to withdraw an appeal. Provisions ex within the Laws of Cricket to facilitate these choices,” it added.