Butt is anxiously awaiting to learn whether he will be allowed to play international cricket again

Disgraced former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has expressed his gratitude to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for hearing his appeal against the 10-year ban that was slapped on him by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for being the ringleader in a match-fixing scandal that shocked the cricketing world.

Butt is still clinging on to the slim ray of hope he has to playing international cricket again and stated that the sport “runs through me in veins and my blood.”

Butt will now have to wait between three to six weeks to learn whether the CAS decide to lift his ban or not.

“I am grateful to the CAS that they have allowed me this opportunity to appeal this sentence,” Butt said. “Since September 2010, until now, I have not been able to play any meaningful game of cricket: to coach or to even be involved in the administration of the game.

“I love cricket: it is something that runs through me in my veins and my blood. I await the decision of the CAS. It means so much to me. I truly pray that they can change it for me by reducing the sentence.”

Butt’s lawyers are certain that their “legal submissions” will count towards something when CAS consider lifting the ban.

“We are certain that the Panel will consider our legal submissions and the material facts of this case carefully when reaching their verdict,” the lawyers said in a statement. “There is only one outcome that can be positive for Salman and us – he must be allowed to play cricket now. We can then say that justice has truly been served.”

If CAS were to lift the ban, then it would be highly unlikely for the ICC to counter appeal the decision.