Aamir to press for his appeal against ICC`s ban be heard soon

Lahore: Banned Pakistan pacer Muhammad Aamir is expected to file a statement with the Court of Arbitration for Sports for his appeal against the five-year ban, imposed on him by the ICC, to be heard at the earliest.

The pacer, who returned to Pakistan on Sunday for the first time after serving a jail sentence in the United Kingdom for his role in the spot-fixing scandal, spent the whole day consulting with his lawyer Sajida Malik on Monday. Sajida Malik, a UK based lawyer has accompanied Aamir to Pakistan and sources say the purpose is to ensure that she is present when the Pakistan Cricket Board calls him for any meeting and also to prepare for the CAS appeal hearing. Aamir had already filed an appeal with the CAS last year with his banned teammates -- Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif -- for the ICC ban to be removed but the legal advisor of the board Tafazzul Rizvi said a hearing could only be held when the players pushed for it. The CAS has not formed any panel to hear the appeal or given any date for it as yet. "When any of the players request the CAS for a hearing date, only than will the CAS form a panel or give a date," Rizvi explained. Rizvi also made it clear that the PCB had no obligation to provide any support or financial aid to Aamir or the other players for the CAS hearing. "They are on their own as they violated their central contracts by getting involved in the spot-fixing issue and have already been sentenced by the ICC and a crown court," he said. "So it is highly unlikely the board can support them in any way. The only thing it can do is get permission from the ICC to start a rehabilitation and counseling course for Aamir who is now in Pakistan," he said. He said the CAS will hear the appeals of the trio in accordance with the rules and regulations laid out in the code of the sports-related arbitration. "The parties will first exchange written submissions and will then be heard at a hearing." Meanwhile, the mentor and coach of Aamir, Asif Bajwa believes the youngster has the confidence and capacity to return to international cricket and play again for Pakistan. "I have spoken to him and told him he now has to rise above himself and deal with the consequences of his action but he must now try to make a comeback whenveer possible and serve the country to win back his supporters," Bajwa said. PTI