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

ICC has denied receiving any complaint about Saeed Ajmal's bowling action

Earlier, reports had claimed that Indian team players complained to the ICC over Saeed Ajmal s bowling action. However, the International Cricket Council denied receiving any such complaint and said only the report of umpires on the field matter on such issues. According to the reports, senior Indian cricketers complained to the ICC about Saeed s action. Sources said that senior players felt that Saeed Ajmal chucks while bowling.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to reach Asia Cup final

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to reach Asia Cup final

DHAKA: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets on Thursday to virtually book their place in the final of the Asia Cup one-day tournament here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday. Chasing 189, Pakistan made a disastrous start losing three early wickets for 33 but captain Misbah-ul-Haq and young Umar Akmal came to rescue and steered their team to a comfortable victory in 39.5 overs.
This was Pakistan’s second successive win after a 21-run victory over Bangladesh on March 13. Now, Pakistan will face India in their last league match on March 18.Both hit half-centuries, 19th for Misbah and 14th for Umar in one-day international cricket. They were involved in an impressive fourth wicket partnership of 152 runs which was Pakistan’s second century stand for any wicket in this tournament. Misbah remained not out on 72, scored off 93 balls with a six and nine fours while Umar hammered 77 from 72 balls with two sixes and seven boundaries. 
For Sri Lanka, paceman Suranga Lakmal claimed two wickets for 37. Earlier, the defending champions were bowled out for 188 runs in 45.4 overs after captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and decided to bat first.
Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Upul Tharanga (57) hit half-centuries while only openers Jayawardene (12) and Tillekaratne Dilshan (20) were the only other batsmen to get into double figures. Paceman Aizaz Cheema was the most successful bowler with four wickets for 43 runs and later won the man-of-the-match award while off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal captured three for 27 and pacer Umar Gul two for 20. Umar Gul also completed his 150 ODI wickets – the tenth Pakistani bowler to reach this milestone.
Sri Lanka were well-placed at 161-4 following a 96-run fifth wicket stand between former skipper Sangakkara before losing their last six wickets for 27 runs. Saeed Ajmal started the slide when he bowled Tharanga and then removed Farveez Maharoof and last-man Suranga Lakmal. Cheema, who conceded 21 runs in his first two overs, came back strongly to dismiss openers Mahela Jayawardene (12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (20) in quick succession before removing Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga. The Pakistani bowlers were backed by their fielders, with Younis Khan taking a superb catch to his left in the slips to account for Dinesh Chandimal off Gul. Sri Lanka raced to 33 in the opening five overs before they were reduced to 65-4, with Cheema taking two wickets and Gul and Hammad Azam one apiece. 

Non-neutral officials in case of unsafe circumstances

Bangladesh series: 'non-neutral officials in case of unsafe circumstances'

DUBAI: The ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) has taken some important decisions in it's meeting held here regarding various aspects of the game.The ICC has given the green light to Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan. The Chief Executive Committee (CEC) of the ICC determined that decisions regarding a particular tours taking place was for the participating countries to decide. The CEC also noted that in the event of the participating countries deciding that the tour should proceed and the ICC determining that it was unsafe to appoint match officials to the tour, a special dispensation to depart from the Standard Playing Conditions to allow non-neutral match officials to participate in the matches

would be required from the ICC Board.