Bangladesh's captain, Shakib Al Hasan, likened his decision to appeal for Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews to be 'timed out' to a battlefield scenario during a World Cup match. The incident unfolded in the 25th over when Mathews, following the dismissal of Sadeera Samarawickrama, stepped onto the pitch but discovered that his helmet strap was broken.
Instead of facing the bowler, Shakib, Mathews signaled for a replacement, prompting Bangladesh to request a 'time out.' Mathews engaged in a discussion with umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth, explaining the issue with the helmet strap. He also approached Shakib, who maintained his appeal, ultimately forcing Mathews to leave the field.
Reflecting on the incident, Shakib expressed his intense emotions, stating, "I felt like I was at war. Whatever I had to do, I did it. There will be debates. Today that (the time out) helped, I won't deny that!"
"One of our fielders came to me and said that if I appealed, he (Mathews) would be out. The umpire asked me if I was serious. It's in the laws; I don't know if it's right or wrong," he added.
Sri Lanka's captain, Kusal Mendis, believed that the umpires should have exercised better judgment in the matter. He pointed out that when Mathews initially walked to the crease, there were only five seconds left for the batting side to be ready. However, Mathews discovered the helmet strap issue when he was already on the field, which was disappointing to Mendis. He expected Mathews to contribute significantly with the bat, but it was regrettable that the umpires didn't intervene to make the right decisions.
Despite Charith Asalanka's outstanding 105-ball 108, Sri Lanka fell short in the match as Bangladesh successfully chased down the 280-run target with a 169-run partnership between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto. This partnership allowed Bangladesh to secure victory with seven wickets remaining in just 41.1 overs.
Mendis acknowledged that an extra 30-40 runs could have made a significant difference for his team. He also expressed optimism about the future of Sri Lankan cricket, highlighting the emergence of promising talents like Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dilshan. Mendis attributed the team's numerous changes and inclusion of newcomers to injuries that they had to contend with during the tournament.
(With agency inputs)
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