At the behest of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, umpire Morris Erasmus, responsible for ejecting Angelo Mathews from the field during a timeout, will no longer officiate cricket matches after today. The retirement came after the conclusion of the 2nd Test between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Erasmus sparked uproar in the cricket community when he ejected Angelo Mathews, marking the first instance of a player being sent off for failing to adhere to pitch time regulations in international cricket’s 146-year history. Critics condemned Mathews’ dismissal as a breach of cricketing principles, leading Erasmus to announce his retirement exactly four months later.
South African umpire Marais Erasmus commenced his international umpiring career in February 2006. Over the years, he officiated in four World Cups, all but the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 World Cup, and three Women’s Twenty20 World Cups. His career included 82 Test matches, 124 ODIs, 43 T20 internationals, and 18 T20 women’s cricket matches.
