That incident from the 2023 World Cup will never be erased from Angelo Mathews’ memory. In a crucial match against Bangladesh, he became the first batsman in history to be timed out—a controversial moment that is still a topic of discussion in the cricket world.
A victory in that World Cup match was the only hope for both teams to get a ticket to the Champions Trophy. When the time limit expired due to a helmet breaking while coming into the innings of Sri Lanka, who were under pressure, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan requested a timed out and when it was not withdrawn, he had to leave the field without playing a ball.
Mathews will now face Bangladesh as his opponent in the farewell Test. The match starting tomorrow in Galle will be the last match of his Test career. Wearing the Test jersey at the press conference, he said that he wants to leave with sweet memories, not the bitterness of the past.
Mathews said, “I don’t hold grudges.” Stating that he no longer has any anger over the incident, Mathews said, ‘The incident was unfortunate. But I never hold any personal grudge. They are my friends, they have always treated us well. Yes, there were some discussions then, but anger is not good for cricket.’
However, in a recent interview, the wound that he has carried for a long time is also clear. In an interview given to Cricinfo, he said.
He said, ‘I did nothing wrong. When I showed the video to the umpires after the match, they understood the mistake and expressed their regret. My helmet was broken right then, I did not know that before coming on the field. I do not know why they targeted me. The umpires should have been more aware. When I reached the crease, it was not even two minutes.’
Despite everything, Mathews has a long-standing relationship with Bangladesh, especially his experience in domestic cricket. He was an important part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in Dhaka in 2014 against Sri Lanka. After that, he also played regularly in the BPL and Dhaka Premier League.
Today, he said at a press conference, “I have played a lot in Bangladesh, not only internationally, but also in domestic leagues. I enjoyed my time there very much. I have made many good friends in Bangladesh.”
A controversial moment may have left a big mark on his career, but Angelo Mathews wants to bid farewell to Test cricket with the memories he made on Bangladesh soil and the friendships he made off the field.
