Cricket
What is Timed Out In Cricket?
There have been only two instances of "timed out" in international cricket. Know all about it in this article.
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During the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, Angelo Mathews became the first cricketer to be timed out in the history of international cricket.
The incident occurred when Mathews, unhappy with the helmet he had been given, took longer than expected to make his way to the pitch for his turn to bat. Making the most of the opportunity, opposition captain Shakib Al Hasan quickly lodged an appeal for a timeout. Unfortunately for Mathews, the appeal was upheld, and he was officially dismissed as timed out, marking a historical first in the sport. So, what exactly is timed out in cricket? Let's find out.
Timed Out in Cricket
Timed out is one of the rarest models of dismissal in cricket, and we've only seen it happen once in international cricket. In simple words, batters are dismissed timed out when they do not arrive to the crease within a particular time after the previous batter is dismissed or retires.
The time limit for the batter to be ready to take to the crease is three minutes according to MCC laws. But according to the playing conditions of the ICC World Cup 2023, the incoming batter gets only two minutes to be ready to play. It is also important to note that the bowler is not credited with a wicket in case of a timed out dismissal.
"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 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out," law 40.1.1 of the MCC states.
Instances of Timed Out in International Cricket
Angelo Mathews - Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2023
Sri Lankan cricketer Angelo Mathews became the first player in international cricket history to be dismissed as timed out during a 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh in Delhi. The incident happened after Mathews arrived late to the crease following the dismissal of his teammate Sadeera Samarawickrama. Mathews' helmet strap broke, and he needed time to get a replacement, which delayed him from being ready to face the next delivery. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed, arguing that Mathews had exceeded the two-minute time limit allowed for a new batter to be ready. Despite Mathews explaining the situation, Shakib refused to withdraw the appeal, and the on-field umpires upheld the decision. This led to Mathews being dismissed without facing a ball, marking the first such occurrence in international cricket.
Godfrey Bakiweyem - Ghana vs Sierra Leone, 2023
In December 2023, in a group stage match of the ACA Africa T20 Cup between Ghana and Sierra Leone, Ghana batter Godfrey Bakiweyem became only the second player in international cricket to be dismissed timed out. Slated to bat at number seven, he did not face a single delivery before being dismissed. This was the first-ever instance of timed out in the game's shortest format at the international level.
Instances of Timed Out in First Class Cricket
A total of six batters have been dismissed timed out in domestic cricket.
Andrew Jordaan: In the 1987-88 match between Eastern Province and Transvaal in Port Elizabeth, Jordaan was not out overnight. However, due to flooded roads, he was unable to reach the ground the next day and was timed out.
Hemulal Yadav: During a 1997-98 game between Tripura and Orissa in Cuttack, Yadav was talking with his team manager near the boundary and failed to make it to the crease, resulting in a timed out dismissal.
Vasbert Drakes: Playing for Border against Free State in 2002 in East London, Drakes was still traveling from the West Indies by plane when it was his turn to bat, leading to his dismissal.
AJ Harris: In a 2003 match between Nottinghamshire and Durham UCCE, Harris, suffering from a groin injury, was too slow in getting to the crease. The opposition appealed, and he was ruled out.
Ryan Austin: Representing Combined Campuses and Colleges in a 2013-14 match against Windward Islands at Kingstown, St. Vincent, Austin, the last batter, failed to arrive at the crease within the required time.
Charles Kunje: In the 2017-18 season, Kunje, playing for Matabeleland Tuskers against Mountaineers in Bulawayo, was also dismissed for not reaching the crease on time.
FAQs
The first batter to be dismissed timed out in international cricket was Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews. This incident occurred in a 2023 ODI World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
Umaima Saeed is a professional sports writer whose articles have been featured in several leading websites. She writes long-form content on sports, particularly cricket. She has a penchant for telling human-interest stories. Umaima has contributed articles on cricket to more than a dozen publications, both in print and online.