'The craziest dismissal ever seen': Pakistan batsman produced an all-time brain fade

Australia's players celebrate the dismissal of Pakistan's Babar Azam during their test match in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Here we're bringing you a contender for the most bizarre cricket dismissal ever seen.

On the third day of the second Test between Australia and Pakistan, a colossal brain fade left those watching on stunned.

As Pakistan began to turn the screws on the Aussies and push their lead to unreachable heights, the moment struck.

Azhar Ali clipped a ball off the edge of his bat and watched as it raced away towards the boundary. He then stopped in the middle of the pitch and spoke with fellow batsman Asad Shafiq.

There was just one problem … the ball never reached the boundary.

As the two men stood and chatted, Mitchell Starc tracked the ball to the rope and then threw it back to Tim Paine who was waiting near the stumps.

Paine wasted no time in whipping the bails off as Ali stood stunned as to what had just unfolded.

A solid innings was brought to an end in one of the most absurd dismissals you're ever likely to see in international cricket.

Social media couldn't believe the scenes and the commentary box was just as staggered.

That is the craziest dismissal I have ever seen! #PAKvAUS @FoxCricket

— Gus Worland (@GusWorland) October 18, 2018

"Crazy, incredible. For a guy who has played more than 60 Test matches," one commentator proclaimed.

"He's got to feel embarrassed, sheepish whatever adjective you want to find at this stage. It's just seriously bad from Azhar Ali."

"I'm lost for words. It's been thrown back right over the stumps as the two batsmen decide to have a little chat mid pitch and haven't completed a run at all," Allan Border followed up.

"I have never seen that before, I've seen a lot of strange things but nothing quite like that. Total stupidity, I don't know how else to describe it. What just happened?

"It's official; Marnus Labuschagne has now been superseded as the dumbest batsman."

Mark Waugh took his proclamation of the dismissal to the next level as the teams headed off for the lunch break.

"That's the world's worst dismissal, that's in the grand final for the worst dismissal ever," Waugh said.

You always wonder if you’ll see an even more bizarre dismissal in your lifetime. That might too the list. “Total stupidity” says AB. #PAKvAUS

— Ben Waterworth (@bjwaterworth) October 18, 2018

Of course it didn't take long for the conversation to turn to if the wicket went against the spirit of the game as cricket is the gentleman's game. But Brett Lee and Waugh quashed those talks and believed if the shoe was on the other foot it would happen in the same manner.

"I don't think it is, if it was Australia on the other end, then that's the game of cricket," Lee said.

"It's just a mistake from the batsman.

"There's nothing in there that is against the spirit of cricket, that's just proper cricket. They're playing by the rules, they've done nothing wrong the Aussies and unfortunately the batsman have made the mistake."

"If you're that stupid then you deserve to get run out," Waugh quipped.

"It's one of the worst run-out dismissals ever."

I’m just waiting for the condemnation of Australia....again....for enforcing the run out in Abu Dhabi! You know, like NZ received for the Murali runout in 06. #dumbcricket or #badsportsmanship #dumb

— Scott Styris (@scottbstyris) October 18, 2018