Pakistan's suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer face an uphill task at next month's full hearing by an independent tribunal appointed by the ICC.
Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the three players will most likely be found guilty of association with match-fixers and face life bans. A recent statement by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat indicated that the ICC has gathered solid proof against the trio, who will face the tribunal in Doha January 6.
According to sources, most of the evidence gathered against the players is in the form of recorded telephone calls and text messages through which ICC believes it will prove their association with match-fixers.
Well-placed sources said that Salman and Asif will be handed life bans if proved guilty but the tribunal could show some mercy for 18-year-old Amir and he could walk away with a ban of anywhere in the range of two to five years.
The ICC, which suspended the players when the allegations were first made by the British tabloid, also held a hearing against the players' provisional suspensions in Dubai in October that was rejected by the one-man tribunal that comprised Michael Beloff.
While Salman and Amir had appealed against their provisional suspension, Asif chose not to and instead opted for a full hearing.
The hearing rejected appeals against the suspension, creating a ruckus between Salman's lawyers, who said the tribunal was biased. Beloff will also head January's full hearing against the trio along with Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Kenya's Sharad Rao.
{{/usCountry}}The hearing rejected appeals against the suspension, creating a ruckus between Salman's lawyers, who said the tribunal was biased. Beloff will also head January's full hearing against the trio along with Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Kenya's Sharad Rao.
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