Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has added that Angelo Mathews wasn’t trying to take an unfair advantage when he was ruled ‘timed out’ in Sri Lanka’s 2023 World Cup clash against Bangladesh as well. However, Mathews was dismissed without facing a delivery as the Sri Lankan players set a 280-run target in Delhi on Monday. Bangladesh won the game with three wickets and 8.5 overs in hand as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “Was it ethically and morally correct? I remember, I think it was Afghanistan’s game against Bangladesh, Mujeeb Ur Rahman forgot his abdominal guard, they didn’t make a timed-out appeal then, but they did it for Angelo Mathews. So it seemed slightly different, don’t know why. The more important thing is should it be done? I always believe that if something is right as per law, how can it be ethically incorrect? I always say that when there is talk about the run-out at the non-striker’s end, but no one was trying to cheat or take unfair advantage here.”
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However, Angelo Mathews reached the crease before the two minutes allowed for a new batter to get ready to face a delivery had elapsed as well. He broke his helmet’s strap while trying to tighten it and also asked for a replacement as well but he was given ‘timed out’ when Shakib Al Hasan appealed for the same. And, Aakash Chopra said that no one could have appealed or complained had the strap gotten broken after Angelo Mathews had faced a ball in the match.
“The only thing was that there was a slight delay. If the delay is because of carelessness, then it’s absolutely wrong, I totally agree. However, if he had played that ball and then his helmet had broken, he could have changed his pads as well, no one would have said anything to him,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “We didn’t give him a 15-second allowance but we are ready to give him 10 mins if he had played a ball, and there wouldn’t have been any penalty. So it is slightly problematic. I feel the umpires could have probably stepped in and told Shakib that what he was doing was wrong but no one said and no one heard.”
