John Hastings Retires From All Three Forms of the Game

Australia’s fast bowler John Hastings has decided to hang his boots from all three forms of the game. Hastings claimed it is not a risk worth taking to continue playing the game. The Aussie pacer was struggling with a mystery lung condition. In fact, Hastings had cough up blood while bowling in the previous month.

The lanky fast bowler had played a solitary Test match for Australia in which he scalped only one wicket. Meanwhile, he represented Australia in 29 One Day Internationals in which he took 42 wickets. He had a best of 6-45 and bowled with an average of 29.9.

On the other hand, he also featured in nine T20Is for Australia in which he took seven wickets. Hastings also played three Indian Premier League matches. He had represented Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.

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Hastings revealed he was coughing up blood whenever he tried to bowl.

“I’ve gone through an extensive testing process,” Hastings told The Age.

“I suppose the important thing to note is that I’m actually in good health. I’ve gone through stress tests and bronchoscopes, and angiogram bronchoscopes and all this sort of stuff. It’s been quite invasive, and lengthy I guess.

“It’s [only] when I bowl. The pressure at the crease, little blood vessels in my lungs burst.

“That determines that I cough up blood on a regular basis when I’m trying to bowl. It’s a really scary thing.

In fact, Hastings had earlier decided that he will limit his participation to T20 commitments. However, his health hasn’t allowed him to continue with the game.

“I’m training now, doing F45, lifting weights or boxing it doesn’t happen. It’s really only the pressure of the actual landing of bowling.

“There was just a lot of gray area surrounding long-term health, whether it was causing any damage, and if there was any potential to have a fatal bleed on the field. They just really couldn’t say yes or no. And I wasn’t happy with that.”

It is a sad end to John Hastings career as his health has deteriorated in the recent past. In fact, it has been a difficult period for the fast bowler and he has rightly decided to call it a day.

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