The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup rule 40.1.1 says after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement.
If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.
With Mathews taking more than two minutes to face his first ball, he had to be sent back to the pavilion following the appeal.
It was the first time in international cricket, men’s or women’s, that a batter was dismissed according to the “timed out” law.
Read more: Pakistan became the team with the highest number of catches in the current World Cup
