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‘Five Seconds Left…’ Kusal Mendis Weighs In On Mathews Time-Out After Defeat To BAN

image-lon6cilhKusal Mendis walks back to the pavilion during SL vs BAN World Cup 2023 match (AP)

Sri Lanka crashed out of the 2023 World Cup semi-final race after coping with a three-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in their penultimate league fixture of the tournament. While the contest turned out to be a hard-fought affair towards the closing stages, the match was also marred by a certain controversial call involving Angelo Mathews and Shakib Al Hasan, and numerous other verbal face-offs between players from both camps.

After the match, Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis reflected on his side’s defeat and their disappointing campaign so far and also gave his take on Mathews’ ‘time-out’ dismissal upon Shakib’s persuasive appeal.

Kusal Mendis says umpires should have stepped up

During the post-match presentation, Sri Lanka’s stand-in skipper, Kusal Mendis, praised Charith Asalanka for his fighting century but stated that his team fell 30-40 runs short with the bat upfront. The cricketer also praised Pathum Nissanka, Dilshan Madushanka, and Sadeera Samarawickrama for delivering consistent performances throughout the competition, and claimed that the team will show good promise in future events. He said:

“Charith played a brilliant innings. But I feel we fell 30-40 runs short. 320 would have been a good total on this surface. I’m happy that Pathum, Dilshan, and Sadeera have done well. We have shown some promise in the tournament. In the future, we will have a good team to show promise.”

Leading the side in the absence of injured Dasun Shanaka, Mendis added that his team should have performed better in all departments despite sustaining key injuries to several of their first-choice players.

The Sri Lankan team has so far secured just two wins throughout their eight league fixtures, and have been crashed out of the semi-finals race with a game to spare.

Kusal Mendis also gave his take over Angelo Mathews’ ‘timed-out’ dismissal, claiming that the all-rounder had arrived at the crease with five seconds still remaining on the clock. Upon finding that he had brought a broken helmet with him, Mendis added that umpires should have stepped up and made the right decision instead of sending Mathews back to the pavilion upon Shakib Al Hasan’s appeal. He added:

“It’s very disappointing. When Angelo came into bat, there were 5 seconds left on the clock. He realised that the strap of his helmet was broken. I feel that the umpires should have stepped up. It was common sense and it’s disappointing that the umpires didn’t make the right decision at that point of time.”

Sri Lanka will now face New Zealand in a World Cup 2023 dead-rubber on November 9. The match, set to be hosted by Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, marks a must-win for the ‘Black Caps’ in their bid to secure a top-four finish. Moreover, Sri Lanka will also be aiming to finish on a high, as a win in their final league fixture will strengthen their 2025 Champions Trophy qualification chances.