The ongoing World Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in New Delhi was hit with a new controversy when Shakib Al Hasan appealed a timed-out decision against Angelo Mathews, which the umpires approved. Even though everything was according to the rules, many believed it went against the spirit of the game and criticized Shakib for not withdrawing the appeal.
The incident occurred in the middle of Sri Lanka’s innings, when they were batting at 135-4 in 24.2 overs. Still recovering from the loss of Sadeera Samarawickrama, who was out for 41 by Shakib, Sri Lanka faced another setback without facing a single ball.
Mathews strolled up to the crease and just as he was about to face the first ball, he sensed something odd with his helmet. Mathews immediately gestured towards the dressing room, asking for a replacement, but the damage was already done. As the 12th man raced with a helmet, Shakib had already requested a timeout against Mathews and was then sent to the long walk back to the pavilion.
Soon after the incident, Gautam Gambhir took to his X account to share his views. He wrote, “Absolutely pathetic what happened in Delhi today!”
Absolutely pathetic what happened in Delhi today! #AngeloMathews
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 6, 2023
Waqar Younis, a former Pakistani speedster, had a similar reaction. He noted: “It’s against the spirit of the game, that’s what I feel about this. It’s such a big moment in this game. Shakib Al Hasan must have appealed because the umpire couldn’t have made a decision unless you have appealed. There shouldn’t have been an appeal there. Because he was on the field and if there was something wrong with his helmet, he should be allowed to fix it. 2-3 extra minutes wouldn’t have made any difference. That’s not good scenes, I must say that.”