Pakistan pair Butt and Aamer file appeals against their bans with CAS

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Pakistan pair Butt and Aamer file appeals against their bans with CAS

By Sportsmail Reporter
26th February 2011

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer have filed appeals against their bans with the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.

Former test captain Butt and pace bowlers Aamer and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of corruption by an ICC tribunal earlier this month for bowling deliberate no balls during a test against England last August and were banned for a minimum of five years.

The trio also face criminal charges of accepting bribes and trying to defraud in a case brought by the Crown Prosecution Service and must appear in a magistrate's court on March 17 in London.

Aamer confirmed to the Reuters news agency on Saturday that his lawyer, Shahid Karim had dispatched the appeal to CAS, sport's final court of appeal.

'My lawyer, who will also be representing me in pursuing this appeal, dispatched all relevant documents yesterday. They should reach the concerned authorities today,' Aamer said.

In a statement, Butt said: 'This is to confirm that today (February 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.

'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.'

Asif is currently in London and has been unreachable for comment on his position regarding an appeal.

Aamer said he was confident that the appeal would be successful. 'It is a long battle ahead of us to prove our innocence but it is something I will pursue to the end. I want to prove my innocence,' he said.

Butt is presently working as a cricket pundit with a Pakistan television channel, Channel 5, at the World Cup, a move that has left the ICC unhappy.


Read more: Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer file appeals against their bans with CAS | Mail Online