A clinical bowling display, followed by a cruising chase, saw Pakistan Champions decimate Australia Champions by ten wickets in Leicester during the World Championship of Legends.
Saeed Ajmal led the demolition with a sensational spell of 6/16, before John Hastings endured a nightmarish over that hastened Australia’s defeat.
Shoaib Malik’s decision to bowl first rewarded Pakistan, but only after a brief resistance from the Australians. Sohail Tanvir and Sohail Khan removed the openers early, but Ben Dunk’s aggressive 26 and Callum Ferguson’s steady hand lifted Australia to 49-2 in the sixth over. Then, in a sudden collapse that spanned just 39 balls, Australia lost eight wickets for a mere 25 runs.
The architect of that carnage was Ajmal, who spun a web the Australians couldn’t escape from. His doosras and quicker balls found edges, pads, and stumps alike. Imad Wasim offered crucial support with 2/11, and not a single Australian batter beyond Dunk and Ferguson reached double digits.
Chasing just 75, Sharjeel Khan and Sohaib Maqsood walked out and batted with intent and clarity. The Australian attack failed to create even a flutter, with both openers rotating strike smartly and dispatching bad balls with ease. By the eighth over, they needed only 20 runs to win.
That’s when the match descended into farce. John Hastings, brought on late, delivered an over that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. It began with five wides outside Maqsood’s off-stump. After a couple of legitimate balls and another no-ball, he changed his angle to left-handed Sharjeel, only to bowl three more wides down leg. A switch in bowling ends did little to help, as the erratic line continued. The over didn’t end even after 18 deliveries, but the match did.
Brett Lee, the captain of Australia Champions, removed his hat following the end of the game in a reaction of disappointment.
Sharjeel’s unbeaten 32 and Maqsood’s 28* saw Pakistan romp home with 7.5 overs to spare. But it was Ajmal who stood tallest, rightly named Player of the Match for his devastating spell that broke Australia’s spine.
With this win, Pakistan Champions finished at the top of the table in the WCL standings. However, they have drawn with India Champions in the first semi-final, igniting concerns over whether the match will take place. India had pulled out of the previous match following outrage from the Indian fans, as well as political and recent military tensions between the two nations after the Pahalgam terror attack.