A staggering display of wayward bowling from John Hastings overshadowed Match 14 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. Notably, the Australia Champions fast bowler delivered 12 wides and a no-ball in a single over, allowing Pakistan Champions to cruise to a dominant 10-wicket win at Grace Road.
Hastings was brought into the attack in the eighth over with Pakistan sitting comfortably at 55-0, chasing a modest 75-run target. What followed was an extraordinary sequence of events that saw Hastings send down 17 deliveries to complete just one over, only five of which were legal.
The 39-year-old began with five consecutive wides, struggling to find any rhythm or consistency. After managing two legal balls, Hastings overstepped for a no-ball, then followed it up with yet another wide. He managed a dot ball before completely losing control again, ending the over with five more successive wides.
Pakistan openers got the job done
Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan (32* off 23) and Sohaib Maqsood (28* off 26) capitalised on the chaos, piling on 20 runs from the five legitimate deliveries of the over and finishing the chase within eight overs. The result not only maintained Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament but also highlighted Australia’s bowling woes.
Meanwhile, Australia were bowled out for a paltry 74 in 11.5 overs. Only Ben Dunk showed resistance, scoring 26 off 14, while Callum Ferguson managed to reach double figures. Pakistan’s spin maestro Saeed Ajmal delivered a match-winning spell of 6-16, dismantling the Australian lineup and claiming the Player of the Match honours.
While Australia’s batting collapse was disappointing, it was Hastings’ erratic over that became the talking point of the match. Meanwhile, despite qualifying for the playoffs, Australia Champions will need to regroup quickly, while Pakistan Champions march confidently into the knockouts.