The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed it will file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), in Lausanne, Switzerland, against the reduction of Umar Akmal’s ban for breaching the PCB Anti-Corruption Code.

According to sources, the board will at least spend Rs.5,000,000 on the aforementioned case, which can also double. A foreign legal firm will be hired to present the PCB’s case. It remains to be seen how Akmal will respond to the board’s latest step.

The right-handed batsman was provisionally suspended on February 20, 2020, just before the beginning of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season five. Akmal was eventually banned for three years, from all cricket, by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, back in April this year — after he was charged for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents.

ALSO READ: Wasim Akram calls for Fawad Alam’s inclusion in second Test against England

After Akmal filed an appeal, his ban was reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator. Former Supreme Court judge Mr Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, in his capacity as an independent adjudicator, gave his decision on Umar Akmal’s appeal after listening to the arguments of both sides.

It is interesting to note that the board’s disciplinary committee chairman imposed a three-year ban and then board’s independent adjudicator reduced it. Now the board is also challenging the reduction in the ban.

According to sources, PCB currently has the services of nine retired judges as independent adjudicators. Out of the nine, eight are retired High Court judges, while one is a retired Supreme Court judge. They get Rs.200,000 for every case and both parties pay Rs.100,000 each to the adjudicator in case of an appeal.