Bangladesh bowling coach Allan Donald expressed his dissatisfaction with captain Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to appeal for a ‘timed out’ against Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews during the 2023 World Cup match in Delhi. Mathews faced a delay due to a broken helmet strap, prompting Shakib to appeal, and the umpire upheld it.
In a post-match interview, Donald revealed his urge to intervene.
“The best approach would’ve been to say, ‘No problem, fix your helmet quickly, there’s time to replace it,'”Donald said to CricBlog.Net.
“When that happened, my immediate response guided by instincts was almost considering stepping onto the field and declaring, ‘Enough is enough, we don’t stand for this. We are not that kind of team who stands for this.’ That was my initial thought,” he added.
While Donald understood Shakib’s perspective, he found it challenging to witness one of Sri Lanka’s all-time greats not facing a ball, calling it against the ‘spirit’ of the game.
“Last night, as I sat in bed, I pondered, ‘What just took place there? The question in my mind was, ‘What just happened there?’ In the dressing room, I remained silent. After Sri Lanka had fielded, I anticipated a very blank reception on the field, and that’s precisely what occurred,” he added.
“There was anger no other way to put it. As usual, at the end of the day, I’m typically out there in the park, among the first to shake hands. But this time, I sensed these guys were heading straight to the dressing room. No eye contact, no conversations nothing. Some may call me old-fashioned, but I just don’t believe there’s any place for it. I really don’t,” he concluded.