Timed Out in Cricket: The Dismissal That Almost Never Happens
Timed out is cricket's rarest dismissal — given when a new batter takes too long to be ready to face their first ball. The rules, the history and why it almost never happens.
Timed out is cricket's rarest official dismissal — given under Law 40 when an incoming batter fails to be ready to face their first delivery within three minutes of the previous wicket falling. The Law exists to prevent deliberate time-wasting by the batting side and to protect the fielding side against tactics that consume playing time without facing deliveries. For most of cricket's history, the dismissal existed only in the Laws and never in scorecards. In 2023, it became a matter of international controversy.
The Law and Its Application
Under Law 40, an incoming batter must be ready to receive the first ball within three minutes of the previous wicket falling. 'Ready' means the batter is at the crease, in position and able to face the next delivery — not just walking across the boundary. If the batter is not ready within the three minutes and the fielding side appeals, the umpire can give the batter out timed out. The dismissal is entered in the scorecard as 'timed out' — the batter scores zero and loses their wicket, but no bowler receives credit for the wicket.
In November 2023, Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka was given out timed out in a Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh — the first instance of the dismissal in the history of ODI cricket and the first in any men's international match. Mathews had a broken helmet strap that required replacement, and he was not ready within the three-minute window. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan upheld the appeal, leading to significant controversy about whether the spirit of cricket permitted such an action when the delay was caused by equipment failure.
Spirit Versus Law
The Mathews incident revived cricket's perpetual debate about the difference between what is legal and what is sportsmanlike. Most commentators, former players and cricket bodies acknowledged that Bangladesh were legally within their rights to appeal. Many also expressed the view that doing so when the delay was caused by equipment failure rather than deliberate time-wasting was contrary to the spirit the Law was designed to enforce. The MCC, custodians of the Laws, stated they would review the application in response to the incident.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timed out clock start from when the wicket falls or when the batter leaves the dressing room?
The three-minute period begins when the previous wicket falls. It is timed from that moment, not from when the umpire signals to the dressing room or when the next batter starts walking. This means that in a quickly-assembled fielding team's appeal, a batter who is slow to start walking can potentially run out of time.
Can a batter be given timed out in T20 cricket?
Yes. The timed out Law applies to all formats of cricket. In T20 cricket, where over rates are already tightly managed and time is more compressed, the three-minute window applies equally. The dismissal has not occurred in T20I cricket, but the Law is identical across all formats.
Does the umpire give the dismissal automatically or only if the fielding side appeals?
The fielding side must appeal for the dismissal to be given. Umpires do not initiate the process themselves. If the fielding side does not appeal — even when the three minutes has elapsed — the batter continues playing and the opportunity to appeal passes once a delivery is bowled.