KARACHI - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday confirmed it will hear appeals from Pakistan cricketers M Asif and Salman Butt, two years after they were banned for spot-fixing.
The CAS website and both players said the appeals against the International Cricket Council (ICC) bans will be heard between February 5-8 next year. "Asif's appeal will be heard between 5-7 February while Butt's appeal will be taken up on February 8," the CAS confirmed from its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Captain Butt and fast bowlers Asif and M Aamir were all banned by the ICC for contriving to bowl deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010. Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended and teenager Aamir for five years.
The trio were also jailed by a British court over the scandal in November 2011. All three were released earlier this year after completing half of their sentences. Aamir decided not to pursue his appeal to the CAS after pleading guilty to the charges before the UK court.
Asif, who returned home last week, confirmed his appeal will be heard in February. "I had filed the appeal after the ban but could not pursue it because of the criminal proceedings, but now it will be taken up by the CAS in the first week of February," Asif told AFP.
Butt said he was looking forward to the hearing. "I have not talked to my lawyer for a few days but he knows exactly about the appeal in the CAS and I hope justice will be done," he said.