The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has initiated its proceedings after the request from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and cricketer Umar Akmal.

According to sources, both parties have been instructed to submit their respective defenses in the next 20 days.

Akmal’s legal team has confirmed that they have received the letter from the CAS. The 30-year-old’s lawyer has claimed that their team has started working on their client’s defense. They will be sending their answers within a few days.

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After both parties have submitted their response, a date for the hearing will be set. The verdict is expected to be announced in three months.

The PCB had earlier reached out to the CAS after an independent tribunal had reduced Akmal’s sentence from three to one and a half years.