ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and paceman Mohammad Amir have lodged appeals against their bans for corruption at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, lawyers said Saturday. “We have filed a statement of appeal in the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ban by the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal,” Butt’s lawyer Yasin Patel told AFP by email.
Opening batsman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Amir were all banned on charges of corruption relating to last year’s Lord’s Test against England. Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended. Asif was banned for seven years, two of which were suspended, with Amir handed a five-year penalty. All three players are also facing criminal prosecution in Britain. Butt confirmed his lawyer had appealed.
“This is to confirm that today 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,” said Butt. Amir has also appealed against his ban, while Asif hinted at challenging the punishment before the March 2 deadline. Aamer’s lawyer Shahid Karim said he filed the appeal on Friday. “We have filed an appeal against the ban on Friday. We are challenging the judgement on various grounds,” Shahid Karim said.
