Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir have filed appeals against their five-year bans from cricket to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pakistan duo challenge sanctions at the CAS
Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir have filed appeals against their five-year bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Butt and Amir, along with team-mate Mohammad Asif, were found guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England last year at an International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal.
Butt, who was Test captain at the time, was banned for five years with a further five suspended, while teenage paceman Amir was given a straight five-year ban.
All three players, plus agent Mazhar Majeed, have also been charged with conspiracy to cheat bookmakers by the Crown Prosecution Service and face a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on March 17.
Butt statement
"This is to confirm that today (Feb 26) my legal team served a statement of appeal upon the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal against the tribunal's findings in relation to the Lord's Test and the sanctions imposed at the recent hearing in Doha," Butt said in a statement to
AFP.
"Full grounds for the appeal will be lodged in due course. Due to the pending proceedings in the UK, my barrister... has advised me against saying anything further at this stage in relation to the appeal.
"I can also confirm that it is my intention to attend the hearing at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on the 17th of March. At this stage I have no further comments to make in relation to that matter."
Amir confirmed to
Reuters that his lawyer, Shahid Karim, had sent his appeal papers to the Swiss-based CAS.
"My lawyer, who will also be representing me in pursuing this appeal, dispatched all relevant documents yesterday (Feb 25). They should reach the concerned authorities today," Amir said.
Seam bowler Asif, who was handed a five-year ban with a further two years suspended, has previosuly hinted he will also challenge the sanction. He has until March 2 to file an appeal to CAS.
