World Cup, Mathews timed out: Umpire explains whole incident & timeout rule

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews was given timed-out in a World Cup match against Bangladesh in New Delhi. Commentor Ian Bishop and Fourth Umpire Adrian Holdtsock explained the time-out rule in cricket.

The Angelo Mathews dismissal where he became the first player to get timed out became the talk of the towns and everybody opened cricket rulebooks to interpret the law in their own way. However, the Fourth-umpire of the match Adrian Holdtsick took it upon himself to explain the issue in its entirety. He answered all the questions like how many minutes was Mathews late. Who initiated the appeal and why do World Cup playing conditions supersede the cricket laws laid down by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardians of the Cricket laws? 

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In the mid-game interview, Holdstock explained the time out in cricket, in a chat with former cricketer Ian Bishop. 

Ian Bishop: Adrian. Sorry to put you in this position. First of all, nobody wants to talk about peripheral incidents but give us an indication of what transpired out in the middle with the Mathews dismissal. 

Fourth Umpire: Adrian Holdstock- Thanks, Ian. First, I'd like to mention that the ICC World Cup playing conditions supersede the MCC laws of cricket. When it comes to timed-out, at the all the wicket or even the retirement of a batsman; the incoming batter has to be in position and ready to receive the ball within 2 minutes.

And we have certain protocols within the PCT. With a TV umpire at a fall of wicket, he basically monitors the 2 minutes and he will then relay the message through to the on-field umpires. And in the instance this afternoon, the batter wasn't ready to receive the ball within those 2 minutes, even before the strap became an issue for him.

Ian Bishop- Right. So just to be clear, even before the strap bust became an issue, the time had already elapsed?

Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock- That's correct. Yeah. So the 2 minutes had already elapsed before he had to receive the next delivery

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Ian Bishop: Who initiated the appeal?

Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock- So, according to law, in the playing conditions, the fielding captain requested or initiated the appeal to Marias Erasmus, who is the standing umpire that he went to appeal for time that time.

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Ian Bishop- So was that before the strap came loose or was that after that incident?

Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock- Now, like I said, just after the strap came loose, the fielding captain can basically request to appeal for time out. 

Ian Bishop- So, in that case, there is no discretion to be used for equipment malfunction. 

Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock- Now, I think as a batsman, I think you need to make sure that you have all your equipment in place to make sure you get here, because you actually have to be ready to receive the ball within 2 minutes, not ready to prepare or take your guard.

So technically, you should be there within maybe 50 seconds to make sure all those things are in place before you actually receive the ball right.