12 Nov 2011

Spot fixer granted right to appeal sentence

12:17 pm on 12 November 2011

Mohammad Amir, one of the Pakistan cricketers jailed for fixing parts of a Test match in England last year, was given permission to challenge his sentence.

The teenage fast bowler was sentenced earlier this month to six months in prison for bowling no-balls at prearranged times during a match at Lord's in August 2010.

A judge at the Court of Appeal in London refused the 19-year-old bail, but granted him permission to appeal against his sentence.

Justice Kathryn Thirlwall directed that the appeal should be heard before the end of the month.

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who was sentenced to 30 months at London's Southwark Crown Court as part of the same plot which also included opening bowler Mohammad Asif, is also seeking to appeal.

It is expected that their cases will be heard together if Butt is also granted permission to appeal.