Verdict on appeals of Salman, Aamer against their suspensions by ICC expected today

Published>Sun, Oct 31 10 12:52 PM

Dubai, Oct 31 (ANI): The International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct Commission is expected to announce a decision on the appeals of tainted Pakistani players Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer against their provisional suspensions on Sunday (today).

Officials from the governing body of cricket said that the hearing would now conclude on Sunday, the Daily Times reported.

Earlier, the two cricketers arrived at the ICC headquarters with their lawyers- Salman with Khalid Ranjha, a former law minister, and Aftab Gul, a former Pakistan player- and Aamer with his lawyer Shahid Karim. The third tainted player- Mohammad Asif- had already withdrawn his appeal, saying that he needed more time for his lawyers to prepare for the case.

Michael Beloff, who is presiding over the hearing and heads the commission, said, "We have made progress in the case," but declined to elaborate on the matter.

"The hearings went on all day," Salman's lawyer Khalid Ranjha told reporters after the eight-hour session. "It will continue tomorrow. I can't say anything more about the discussions today."

The commission is expected to announce a decision on the players' appeals on Sunday in a ruling that cannot be further challenged.

The proceedings in Dubai are, however, concerned only with the duo's suspensions and whether the ICC followed the correct procedures in imposing them. The innocence or guilt of the players, who have denied any wrongdoing so far, will be judged at an independent tribunal, the date of which is not yet finalised.

Well-informed sources revealed that the legal team of the ICC had indeed submitted a detailed list of charges against the two players at the hearing in a bid to justify the suspensions imposed on them on September 2.

The ICC legal experts, representing the anti-corruption and security unit, had tried to convince the tribunal head at the hearing that the two players had indeed clearly violated several clauses of the anti-corruption code, which led to the ICC imposing the suspensions on them, the sources added.

On September 2, the ICC had suspended opening batsman Salman and pace bowlers Aamer and Asif over allegations of spot fixing during the Lord's Test against England in August. (ANI)

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