Pakistani Shaheens have beaten Bangladeshi Tigers after a nailbiting finish

Pakistani Shaheens have beaten Bangladeshi Tigers after a nailbiting finish 

In the end, it was 4 runs required off one ball for Bangladesh to win, and Aizaz Cheema couldn’t do better than bowling a perfect yorker to bring home the victory well longed for now. Bangladesh fell two runs short of Pakistan’s modest total of 236. Pace bowler Aizaz Cheema grabbed three wickets at key moments to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh by two runs in a thrilling final to win the Asia Cup for the second time on Thursday. The home side came agonisingly close to becoming the new Asian champions with nine needed in the final over. However, Cheema conceded only six runs and took a wicket in the process to see his side home.

Shahadat Hossain took the strike in the final ball after Cheema bowled Abdur Razzak when a boundary would have done it for Bangladesh. But he could manage just a leg bye as the home side were restricted to 234 for eight in reply to Pakistan s 236 for nine.

Tamim Iqbal scored 60 off 68 balls, his fourth half-century in as many matches in the tournament, and Shakib Al Hassan (68) added 89 runs for the fourth wicket stand with Nasir Hossain (28) to put Bangladesh in control. Umar Gul broke their resistance, inducing Nasir to hit a catch to Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket and Cheema silenced the roaring Sher-e-Bangla crowd in the next over when he bowled Shakib around his legs. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was caught by Nasir Jamshed on the square-leg boundary off Cheema for 10 then Mashrafe Mortaza struck 18 off eight balls. Shahid Afridi won the man-of-the-match award after scoring 32 runs off 22 balls and conceding 28 from his 10 overs.

 Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez scored 40 off 87 balls and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed contributed 46 not out. Sarfraz took 19 runs off the final over bowled by Shahadat that finally proved to have made the difference Shakib, who also took two wickets for Bangladesh alongside Mortaza and Razzak, was adjudged player of the tournament

Mass protest against fuel hike in Indonesia

Thousands of Indonesians protested across the country Wednesday against a proposed fuel hike, with violence which broke out in one city injuring a policeman, police said. Around 4,000 workers protested “peacefully” in front of the state palace in the capital, Jakarta police spokesman Rikwanto told AFP.

“There was some pushing and shoving because so many people were packed but the protest went without incident,” he said. But in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan, about 300 students brought down an iron gate in front of the provincial parliament building and threw rocks and motorcycle helmets at police, an AFP correspondent saw. “A policeman suffered serious injuries on his eyebrow and head and was taken to the hospital. Thirty students were detained by police for questioning,” Medan city police chief Monang Situmorang told reporters.

“The brutal act by the students was intolerable. We will thoroughly investigate this matter,” he added. Indonesia is considering raising fuel prices or lowering the current subsidy to private vehicles in anticipation of rising global oil prices. The government is expected to make a decision by the end of March. In Makassar, provincial capital of South Sulawesi, 300 protesting students damaged four vehicles, including an oil truck belonging to state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina. They also chanted “Crush SBY, bring down SBY-Boediono regime”, referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s by his initials, an AFP photographer saw. Under the current government subsidy scheme, private car and motorcycle owners are allowed to buy fuel at Rp 4,500 per litre. Without the subsidy, private motorists would have to buy a higher-octane fuel, priced at above Rp 8,000. The government last raised the price of subsidised fuel in May 2008 by an average of 30 percent to Rp 6,000 per litre.

PM contempt case adjourned till Monday

Supreme Court resumed hearing of contempt of court case against Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here in Islamabad on Thursday. A seven member larger bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk is hearing the case. Counsel of the Prime Minister‚ Aitzaz Ahsan continued his arguments in the case.

In his arguments Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said that under the Article 10-A it is the fundamental right of every citizen to have transparent trial. He said the adopted procedure of the Judges in this case is contradictory with the article 10-A.

He maintained that as the present bench issued notices and fixed the charge of contempt of court‚ it should now refer the case to another bench and in this connection the Supreme Court may adopt a suo moto. He said his party has full confidence in the bench and the Judges. He said each law is under the Constitution. Aitzaz argued that the Article 10-A is not a choice but it should have been enforced strictly. The Court has now adjourned the hearing till Monday.