Last night’s Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh showdown at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi during the Cricket World Cup may have been an irrelevant battle for the semi-finals, but the drama that unfolded on the pitch has sent shockwaves throughout the cricketing universe. The match might be over, but the controversy is just heating up!
In a jaw-dropping twist, Angelo Mathews has dropped a bombshell. He’s presented proof that he adhered to the stipulated time frame and didn’t exceed the official two-minute limit for a batsman to get ready during the Delhi match against Bangladesh.
Here’s the scoop: Sri Lanka was up to bat first, and when their wicket fell, it was Mathews’ turn to step in. But hold on, he faced a helmet hiccup that delayed his arrival at the crease. Quick as a flash, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib-al-Hasan, seized the moment. He cried foul to the umpire, who promptly ruled Mathews out. In the spirit of sportsmanship, Mathews even asked Shakib to reconsider, but that callous captain flat out refused. Mathews was sent packing without even facing a single ball.
Post-match, when Shakib was grilled about his behavior, he didn’t mince words, saying, “If you want the ‘spirit of the game,’ then ICC needs to rethink the rules.”
Mathews said- I used to respect Shabik earlier, but…
Mathews expressed his views in the press conference after the match. He described the behavior of Bangladesh players as shameful.
“Before today, I used to respect Shakib and Bangladesh a lot, but now it is not so. The actions of Shakib and Bangladesh are extremely shameful. If they want to play cricket like this then it is very shameful. I don’t think any other team would have done this. I also asked him to withdraw the appeal but he refused. – Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka.”
It was disgrace full of Shakib al Hasan ,until today I had lot of respect him but he lost all today .said #AngeloMatthews#ShakibAlHasan #BANvSL #INDvsSA #NaseemShah#ThugLife #INDvsNED #Rashmika #RashmikaMandanna #ArijitSingh #BiggBoss7 #SriLankaCricket… pic.twitter.com/V9bgltou5p
— AKHILESH YADAV (@Aky21605104) November 6, 2023
Players Did Not Shake Hands after the Match
To add fuel to the fire, players from both sides refused to shake hands after the match, and tensions were palpable. Sri Lanka is seething with anger, and the cricketing world is buzzing with the notion that Shakib should’ve withdrawn his appeal. This drama is far from over!