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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday it will likely rule on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal against the lifting of bans on Pakistani bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif within four months.

“In accordance with the code of sports-related arbitration, the Arbitral Panel to be appointed will issue directions regarding the arbitration procedure in due course,” the court said in a statement.

“As a general rule, the CAS delivers its decisions within four months from the filing of the appeal,” the statement issued from Lausanne, Switzerland said.

WADA last month filed an appeal with the court against a decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Anti-Doping Appeals Committee.

“In the decision against which the appeal has been filed, the PCB Anti-Doping Appeals Committee set aside a previous decision … in which one-year and two-year periods of ineligibility were imposed on Mr. Mohammad Asif and Mr. Shoaib Akhtar respectively,” the court’s statement said.

“The periods of ineligibility were imposed for anti-doping rule infractions, following the detection of a metabolite of nandrolone in the urine samples of both cricketers,” the statement added.

If the court sticks to the four-month timeframe then both Akhtar and Asif could play in the World Cup to be held in the West Indies in March-April this year, providing bans are not reimposed.

Source:The News