Richie Benaud to hear Akhtar appeal

Former Australia captain Richie Benaud will hear Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's appeal against his one Test Match and two One-Day International ban for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.

Benaud, now an esteemed broadcaster, is Cricket Australia's nominated member of the ICC's Code of Conduct Commission and has been appointed as Appeals Commissioner for Akhtar's case by ICC's Legal Counsel, Urvasi Naidoo.

The process for conducting the hearing is left to the discretion of the Appeals Commissioner who will hear and determine Akhtar's case within the next seven days.

The appeal relates to an initial hearing in Lahore on Friday at which ICC Match Referee Clive Lloyd found Akhtar guilty of breaching Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for using language that was obscene, offensive or of a generally insulting nature to another player (CC 2.9).

As this was Akhtar's second breach of CC 2.9 within 12 months, the penalty imposed was upgraded to that of a Level 3 offence.

A Level 3 offence provides a sterner penalty than a straight breach of Level 2 of the Code but does carry a right of appeal which Akhtar has elected to exercise.

On making his decision, the Appeals Commissioner will provide a written decision to the ICC which will be forwarded to all parties concerned. He has the power to increase, decrease, amend or otherwise substitute his own decision for that of the original adjudicator.

The decision of the Appeals Commissioner will be final and binding.

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