Sri Lanka batsman Angelo Mathews remains adamant he did nothing wrong during his controversial timed-out dismissal against Bangladesh at the World Cup.
On Monday, Mathews became the first batsman to be timed out in international cricket. The veteran all-rounder was deemed not ready to face his first ball within two minutes as per tournament rules. His helmet strap broke and more than three minutes elapsed before he received a replacement helmet.
Bangladesh and captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed for the Sri Lankan to be timed out and the on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth agreed.
That caused friction between the sides, with Mathews blasting Bangladesh, calling the incident "absolutely disgraceful".
The world governing body later gave further explanation of the incident. Fourth official Adrian Holdstock clarified that Mathews had exceeded the time limit even before the helmet strap came off.
However, Mathews took to social media to post what he said was 'proof' that he still had time on his hand when his equipment (helmet strap) malfunctioned.
In a post on X, formally Twitter, Mathews stated he had seconds to spare before the chinstrap on his helmet broke requiring a new one to be brought out. He backed his position with time-stamped video screenshots.
"Video evidence shows I still had 5 more seconds even after the helmet gave way. Can the 4th umpire rectify this please? I mean safety is paramount as I just couldn’t face the bowler without a helmet," he posted on X.
"Proof! From the time catch was taken and the time helmet strap coming off," he added, with screenshots.
On Tuesday, Mathews uploaded a video clip of the entire incident with a time stamp.
There was plenty of support for Mathews. Former South Africa bowler Dale Steyn said the incident "wasn't cool", Australia batsman Usman Khawaja called it "ridiculous", and former India captain Gautam Gambhir branding it "pathetic".
"I didn't enjoy what I saw out there," Pakistan great Waqar Younis said in a TV broadcast.
