Angelo Mathews claims that the on-field umpires who declared him timed out on Monday admitted to Sri Lanka’s coaching staff that they made a mistake by not checking how much time elapsed between the previous dismissal and Mathews’ helmet strap breaking. Mathews stated in his post-match press conference, “The umpires [Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth] also admitted that it was an equipment malfunction and they could have gone upstairs and checked.” Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood also confirmed that the coaching staff had discussed the dismissal with match officials and that conversations were still ongoing.
Mathews drew a distinction between what constituted a fair “timed out” dismissal and the time taken out of the game to replace faulty equipment. However, the playing conditions do not account for equipment malfunction, only stipulating that the new batter be ready to receive the ball within two minutes of the previous dismissal, which Mathews did not strictly adhere to.
The cricketer argued that it was a matter of common sense when it came to using technology and emphasized that the malfunction was apparent as the strap just came off without any intentional damage. He also disputed the fourth umpire’s statement regarding the batter’s responsibility to have all equipment in place, stating that while it is his responsibility to be prepared to face fast bowlers, he could not have foreseen the strap malfunctioning.
Overall, Mathews expressed frustration with the situation, highlighting that the umpires could have done a better job at the time by checking the issue immediately rather than after the fact.
