Posted by For the same reason he appealed in the first place: because he’s Shakib al Hasan.
Angelo Mathews was timed out during Sri Lanka’s game against Bangladesh in Delhi today. This is, incredibly, the first time a batter’s been out this way in international cricket.
It takes a particular type of captain to appeal for a timed-out and Shakib is very much that type of captain.
Shakib really does not care what you think.
Shakib al Hasan, a recap
As we highlighted in our World Cup Players to Watch feature, Bangladesh’s captain kicked off this tournament by slagging off long-time team-mate Tamim Iqbal for being childish and selfish.
In the 2011 World Cup, several Bangladesh fans complained that he gave them the middle finger when they booed him.
A year earlier, he’d threatened to lamp a member of groundstaff with his bat for moving in front of the sightscreen.
In 2014, he was banned by his own board for, “a severe attitude problem, which is unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh cricket.”
In the comments below the players to watch feature, Stephen also highlighted these low key disagreements with umpires, which are well worth a watch if you’re a fan of tantrums – which of course you are.
Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, a recap
Perhaps pertinently when it comes to this particular incident, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have a bit of what tends to be referred to as ‘history’.
In 2018, the two sides took turns taunting each other with the nagin dance after victories. This seemed to build antipathy to the point where Shakib actually tried to get his batters to walk off in the last over of a T20 game when what he considered a no-ball wasn’t given by the umpires. In the end, the batters stayed on and Mahmudullah hit a six to win the match, at which point Bangladesh thought it would be a good idea if they all did the dance again.
Today Angelo Mathews walked out to bat and then immediately asked for a helmet change because his chin strap had broken. The whole thing dragged on interminably and unfortunately for him, Shakib al Hasan was the bowler.
If you’d asked us before this tournament, “is Shakib al Hasan the kind of player who’d appeal for a timed out?” we’d have said, “yes, Shakib al Hasan is 100% the kind of player who’d appeal for a timed out.”
And if you’d then asked us, “is Shakib al Hasan the kind of player who’d retract an appeal for timed out having subsequently realised how that might be perceived in some quarters?” we’d have said, “no, absolutely not – there is literally zero chance that Shakib al Hasan would retract an appeal for timed out on the basis of how anyone else in the world might perceive it.”
Shakib al Hasan wants to get you out any way he can. If you are foolish enough to first do something highly irritating – even if that is through no fault of your own – then do not expect any mercy.
Have to say that I’m not enjoying this World Cup, not least for the size of the wins/losses. I don’t follow any one side in particular, and I only take sides on the day of the match, if at all (although I have a little admiration for Afghanistan). The rarity of a competitive match so far is tedious verging on sad. I fear the final will be won by 8 wickets in 12 overs or by 250-something runs.
Also, the inconsistency (India and England aside), which has always been there in a tournament, seems a huge gaping chasm at times. I mean, South Africa in one innings getting to 428 then 83 in another (albeit the latter in the 2nd innings which SA are a bit poopy at). Erf!!
The fact that we have the occasional butthole, such as Shakib al Hasan, masquerading as a cricketer isn’t helping matters.
Poopy, butthole, gaping chasm.
‘Erf!’ indeed.
Heh!
Poopy and butthole are on me, I’ll accept, but gaping chasm is on someone else’s imagination.
I genuinely have never seen someone get timed out. I knew it was possible, but batsmen generally don’t arrive fashionably late.
He arrived in time. A working helmet didn’t.
I know this is beside the point but the spinner was on, couldn’t Matthews have faced a ball without his helmet? Like I said, I know this is beside the point.
In his defence, Angelo probably had no idea something that hasn’t happened ever since the game began in the 1870s would happen to him today.
Yes he could. This is one of the marvellous details.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Your “Ones to Watch” list has proven to be quite accurate, only really Trent Boult letting you down, and Haris Rauf being just sort of meh.
Shakib, in fact, was the first to point out that Champions Trophy qualification was linked to the World Cup standings
Else, England might have been blissfully unaware.
Haris Rauf really went for an incredible number of runs early on, so that was quite noteworthy, but not really why we picked him.
I am not sure I understand why he should withdraw the appeal. In fact, I don’t understand why he should have to appeal. If there’s a rule in the books, there should be a clock (very common in other sports) and if someone is not where they should be in the designated time, they should be out. This whole business of appealing and asking if you are “serious” about the appeal puts the “moral” onus of a dismissal on a professional athlete who’s there to win. Expecting them to judge what’s “right” and “wrong” isn’t fair, even more so when the administrators and umpires aren’t doing their jobs. We have seen the same discussion happen with running out the batter on the bowlers end.
Cricket needs to have rules and enforce them, not have them on the books and then judge players for choosing to appeal.
That said, the current approach is very entertaining because it injects jeopardy into a very boring World Cup.