"If he comes here to play any international or LPL matches, stones will be thrown at him" - Angelo Mathews' brother Trevin issues warning to Shakib
Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews' brother Trevin Mathews has issued a grave warning to Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan in the aftermath of the 'Timed Out' saga, which has not seen any signs of slowing down.
Shakib Al Hasan refused to withdraw the appeal against Mathews that led to the all-rounder becoming the first player to be timed out in international cricket. Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign took a turn for the worse after they lost the fixture against Bangladesh by four wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The umpires went on record to state that Mathews' broken helmet strap does not factor in at all, since he was already late to the crease. In response, the veteran player has posted video evidence of the same and had a go against Shakib Al Hasan and the Bangladesh team in the post-match press conference as well.
Firmly stating that the all-rounder is not welcome in Sri Lanka in any capacity whatsover, Trevin Mathews told the Deccan Chroncile:
"We are very disappointed. The Bangladeshi captain has no sportsman spirit and did not show humanity in the gentleman’s game. Shakib is not welcome in Sri Lanka. If he comes here to play any international or the LPL matches, stones will be thrown at him or he will have to face the annoyance of fans."
The Bangladesh skipper also stood by his decision to stay put with the appeal despite Mathews' pleas to reconsider the decision. He claimed during the post-match presentation that he confirmed with the umpires whether the appeal was within the laws of the game or not before issuing it.
According to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) Bangladesh are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka next in 2025 to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2023 ODI World Cup
The Bangladesh all-rounder played a starring role in his team's win that ended a six-game losing streak at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shakib took two wickets and scored 85 runs to be crowned player of the match. However, he has now returned to Dhaka after sustaining a fracture to his finger.
Anamul Haque has replaced the captain in the World Cup squad, while Najmul Hossain Shanto will led the team in Bangladesh's final contest against Australia.
What's your take on the entire Timed Out dismissal controversy? Let us know what you think.