Shakib Al Hasan Blames Angelo Mathews For His Sloppy Attitude Amidst 'Timed-Out' Fiasco
Angelo Matthews taunts Shakib [X.Com]
Yesterday’s fixture between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka erupted in a full-blown controversy as Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews emerged as the first international cricketer to be dismissed in the form of “timed-out” dismissal. He had to depart without facing a delivery after the match officials believed that he had taken more than the stipulated time to arrive at the crease to face the next delivery which in this case was a maximum of two minutes.
His dismissal triggered a massive uproar which left the cricketing world divided. While some argue that the decision was justified and well within the rules, some have also managed to spark the “spirit of cricket” debate to add another intriguing dimension to this rare occurrence.
During his post-match press conference, Shakib was tasked with facing a barrage of questions from the reporters who questioned him about the sportsmanship aspect. In his defence, Shakib stated that the ICC (International Cricket Council) should consider altering the rules to avoid such scenarios in the first place. He further explained that he is always careful on his part and would avoid such scenarios to transpire at all costs.
"Well, then ICC should look into it and change the rules. I'll be careful. It doesn't happen to me.”
The Bangladeshi skipper elaborated on how he was made aware of this law by one of his own men which prompted him to lodge an appeal for timed-out. Umpires advised him to withdraw his appeal on two occasions, but Shakib stayed firm and refused to bow down to their request.
"One of our fielders apprised me of the clause, stating that he's out if he doesn't take his guard within the designated time frame. So, I made the appeal to the umpires. They inquired if I intended to retract the appeal. I affirmed my stance, refusing to call him back."
Watch the entire incident:
Bangladesh went on to win that game comfortably by a margin of 7 wickets and 53 balls to spare. However, their victory left a bad taste as both teams reportedly refused to shake hands following the “timed-out” drama.
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