Angelo Mathews Timed Out: 5 Times Cricketers Got Dismissed in Bizarre Fashion

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first batter in the history of international cricket to be dismissed “Timed Out" during ICC World Cup 2023 game against Bangladesh in Delhi on Monday.

The incident occurred in the 25th over when Sadeera Samarawickrama departed on the second delivery after playing a lofted drive toward the deep square region but found a Bangladeshi fielder stationed there. Mathews, the next batter in, walked back to the pavillion without a ball being bowled.

Why?

Because Mathews failed to show up to the crease and take guard within 2 minutes of the dismissal. The Sri Lankan batter’s delayed walk and apparent trouble with helmet prompted Shakib and his teammates to appeal following which Mathews had to make a long, almost comical return to his camp.

According to the rule book of cricket (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.

The subsequent law further states that the bowler does not get credit for the wicket.

Unfortunately for Mathews, Shakib did not withdraw his appeal. The incident left the cricket fraternity divided in two halves. One side asserted that Bangladesh shouldn’t have gone against the “spirit" of the game while others felt that Mathews was treating the biggest stage of cricket as his “backyard."

With the “Timed Out" dismissal, Mathews joined the not-so-elite list of cricketers who have had fallen to some rare and bizarre dismissals.

Inzamam-ul-Haq: Obstructing the field

In 2006, During the first ODI- against India, Inzamam-ul-Haq blocked Suresh Raina’s throw with his bat while he was out of his crease. Indian fielders appealed. Umpire Simon Taufel consulted with onfield umpire Asad Rauf. The Pakistani batter was declared out.

Andrew Symonds: Caught Out

Although being caught out is amongst the most common ways a batter can get dismissed (bowled, lbw, run out, hit wicket, stumped included), the late Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds departed after a freakish dismissal against Sri Lanka in 2006 after he smashed a straight drive off bowler Mubarak directly at Michael Clarke at the non-striker’s end.

The ball ricocheted off Clarke’s shoe and Dilshan pouched a simple one at the mid wicket.

Virender Sehwag: Run Out

Again a conventional way to get out, but Virender Sehwag “strolling in the park" while completing a routine single during an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2007 saw him packing after ever-so-alert wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara spotted Sehwag short of his crease. Upon seeing the Indian opener shadow batting inches away from the safety line, Sangakkara saw the opportunity and went for the kill.

You can hear the frustration in commentator’s voice to realise how incredibly avoidable this dismissal was.

Michael Vaughan: Handling the Ball

This incident dates back to 2001-02. During the 3rd Test of England’s tour of India, English batter Michael Vaughan attempted to sweep Sarandeep Singh but failed. The ball brushed his pad before it dropped on the pitch. Vaughan, perhaps in a brainfade moment, held the ball and rolled it away.

Singh looked back at the umpire in a quiet appeal and Vaughan was adjudged out “handling the ball." It must be noted that ‘handling the ball’ was once considered a separate method of dismissal but it got clubbed into “obstructing the field" in 2017.

Kevin Pietersen: Hit Wicket

One would expect a batter to smash their stumps with their bat while playing a shot or be blissfully ignorant of where their backfoot to be “hit wicket," but England’s Kevin Pietersen took the dismissal to a whole new level when he ducked Dwayne Bravo’s lethal bouncer during the third Test against West Indies in 2007. Pietersen almost managed to dodge the ball. Almost. His helmet, however, took off from his head and rolled down the stumps.

Honourable mentions: Inzamam-ul-Haq crashes onto his stumps while attempting to sweep England’s Monty Panesar. Ben Stokes handles the ball (obstructs the field) against Australia. Misbah-ul-Haq jumps to avoid the ball while taking a single against India, gets run out.