The Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan protested against the seasoned all-rounder for a timed out, and at the last moment, his helmet strap slipped off and he asked for a new one. The ODI World Cup 2023 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh took a heated turn on Monday, November 6, in Delhi, following Angelo Mathews’ “timed out” dismissal in the opening innings. Following Sadeera Samarawickrama’s expulsion in the 25th over, Mathews went to the middle, which is when the incident occurred.
Mathews was informed by the on-field umpires that he had used up all two of his preparation time before facing the bowler. Shakib could have withdrawn the appeal, but he chose not to as Mathews would have to walk a considerable distance to return without having to face a ball.
Michael Atherton, an English pundit, criticized Shakib Al Hasan harshly and claimed that no previous cricket player supported his “abysmal” choice to bench Mathews.
Since it is their responsibility to enforce the rules of the game, I don’t believe the umpires were at fault. But from Shakib [Al Hasan], awful. It makes sense. Speaking with past players, you frequently hear conflicting stories. Mankading, for instance, occasionally results in dissent. I don’t disagree with that because I believe that batters shouldn’t steal bases at the non-striker’s end. To far, I have not spoken to a single former player who believes Bangladesh was justified in doing the actions they did. I therefore feel deeply sorry for Sri Lanka and Angelo Mathews. I thought Shakib Al Hasan did a really bad job,” Atherton said to Star Sports.
Matthew Hayden has done even more harm to the game’s essence.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden echoed Atherton’s views and emphasized the significance of captains in upholding the spirit of the game.
“I had an issue with [non-striker runouts], but this incident simply takes the Spirit of the Game to a whole other level, so I’m not sure what you would call my issue with it. It’s common sense, regardless of the rules you post here or the code you use. It’s not a game to win at all costs; rather, it’s a gentlemanly game. Throughout cricket’s history, there have been times when the game has adopted a win-at-all-costs mindset. Australia just succeeded in one with their ball-scratching technique. From the perspective of Australian cricket, we were disgusted by that, the southpaw stated.
However, these occurrences just boil down to fundamental human decency, which is reflected in our game. It is a superb survivor because of this. It endured numerous humanitarian tragedies throughout the years for the straightforward reason that, as sisters or brothers participating in the game, you could accept it in the end. You understand that it was going to be difficult for you on the field. However, now that we are discussing and enjoying the game as gentlemen, it needs to be safeguarded. These kinds of things require their commanders to bear the brunt of responsibility. The playing eleven, and especially the captain, must build a stronghold around the spirit of cricket, not the umpires.”
Charith Asalanka scored a brilliant century, but Sri Lanka was bowled out for 279. With three wickets remaining in the 42nd over, Bangladesh successfully pursued the mark thanks to a stand-out 169 runs between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto.
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