Cricket fans witnessed one of the strangest moments in the sport’s recent history during Match 14 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, as Australian bowler John Hastings delivered a bizarre 18-ball over against Pakistan Champions at Grace Road, Leicester, on Tuesday.
Pakistan Champions, chasing just 75 for victory, were already cruising at 55/0 in the seventh over when Hastings was brought into the attack.
What followed was one of the longest overs in recorded cricket history. Hastings started with five wide deliveries, all well outside the off-stump to right-hander Sohaib Maqsood.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!After a single changed the strike, Sharjeel Khan added a boundary, followed by a no-ball and yet another wide, this time outside leg stump. The extras kept piling up.
Struggling with his line, Hastings switched to round the wicket but ended up bowling three more wides across Sharjeel.
Desperation took over as he changed angles again, only to fire more deliveries far from the stumps. In total, the over included 12 wides and one no-ball, and was never even completed, as Pakistan reached the target before it ended.
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Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers had dismantled Australia Champions for a meagre 74.
Saeed Ajmal was the standout performer, taking 6 wickets for just 16 runs, supported by Imad Wasim’s tight spell. Australia lost eight wickets for 25 runs in a shocking collapse after being comfortably placed at 49/2.
In reply, openers Sharjeel Khan (32 not out) and Sohaib Maqsood (28 not out) made light work of the chase, sealing a 10-wicket win in just 7.5 overs.
Hastings's over will now go down in cricket folklore for all the wrong reasons, a surreal episode that had fans scratching their heads and laughing in disbelief.
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