There are ten ways a batter can be dismissed in cricket, and some of them almost never happen. Timed out is one of the rarest. For most of cricket history fans barely knew it existed, until a World Cup match in 2023 involving Bangladesh put it on front pages around the world. This guide explains what the law says, how the time limit works in international cricket, what happened in that famous match and why the rule exists at all.
What the law says
Law 40 of the Laws of Cricket covers the timed out dismissal. After a wicket falls or a batter retires, the incoming batter must be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to receive the ball, within a set time. Under the Laws used in most cricket, that time is three minutes. If the new batter is not ready in time and the fielding side appeals, the umpire gives the incoming batter out timed out.
International playing conditions can set a shorter limit. In men’s one-day international events, including the 2023 World Cup, the limit was two minutes. Always check the playing conditions for a particular competition.
Who gets the wicket
Timed out is not credited to the bowler. It is recorded as a team dismissal, like run out or obstructing the field. The bowler’s figures do not change, but the batting side loses a wicket and the new batter scores nothing.
The Angelo Mathews case
On 6 November 2023, during the World Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Delhi, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews walked to the crease after a wicket fell. When he was about to take guard, he noticed a problem with his helmet strap and signalled for a replacement. Time passed, and Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed. The umpires ruled that Mathews had not been ready within the time allowed, and he was given out timed out without facing a ball.
It was the first timed out dismissal in men’s international cricket. The decision divided opinion. Some said Bangladesh had applied the law correctly, others argued it went against the spirit of the game. Either way, the law had been followed, and the match became a reference point for every discussion of the rule since.
More cricket law explainers written for Bangladeshi fans can be found on the Join9Wickets cricket rules section.
Why the rule exists
The law protects the flow of the game. Without a time limit, a batting side could slow the match down deliberately, for example to use up time before a break or to avoid facing a fast bowler in poor light. The rule also protects the fielding side’s momentum after a wicket. In practice, umpires usually allow reasonable time for genuine equipment problems, and fielding sides rarely appeal, which is why the dismissal is so uncommon.
How batters avoid being timed out
- Have pads, gloves and helmet on and checked before your turn to bat.
- Test helmet straps and gloves in the dressing room, not at the crease.
- Keep a spare helmet and gloves ready with the twelfth player.
- Walk out promptly when a wicket falls, especially in white-ball matches with shorter limits.
The umpire’s role
An umpire cannot give a batter out timed out without an appeal from the fielding side. Even with an appeal, the umpires judge whether the batter was ready within the limit. If an equipment problem arose after the batter had arrived and was ready, the umpires may treat the situation differently. These details are why each case depends on the exact timing.
Other rare dismissals
Timed out sits alongside other uncommon dismissals such as handling the ball, which is now part of obstructing the field, and hit the ball twice. Each exists to cover a specific unfair situation rather than to decide matches regularly.
Key points to remember
- An incoming batter must be ready within three minutes under the Laws, or less if playing conditions say so.
- The fielding side must appeal for the dismissal.
- It is a team dismissal and is not credited to the bowler.
- Angelo Mathews became the first man timed out in international cricket in 2023.
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