LAHORE, Nov 20: The defending lawyers of banned fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif on Monday presented their respective arguments in a marathon hearing of the Appellate Tribunal. The tribunal is reviewing the appeals of two bowlers against the doping ban imposed on them by the PCB Anti-doping Commission (ADC) headed by Barrister Shahid Hamid on Nov 1.

"Asif's lawyer Aftab Gul has almost completed his arguments while Shoaib's counsel Abid Hasan Manto will carry on with his arguments on Tuesday," Justice Fakharuddin G Ebrahim, who heads the tribunal, told reporters after presiding over the five-hour, twenty-minute long hearing at the PCB headquarters on Monday.

Fakharuddin observed that while Aftab Gul could come up with a couple of good points, senior lawyer Abid Manto had a fair stock of arguments to put forward.

"The tribunal will listen to all the arguments to the entire satisfaction of the lawyers and is not in a hurry to dispose off the case," the head of the three-member tribunal said.

Fakharuddin, however, was reluctant to comment on a recent press statement given by one of the tribunal members, Hasib Ahsan who criticised the process of collecting the sample of two players and on its handling by the PCB.

"I think that is not a major issue and I was not influenced by it during the proceedings today. I also believe the statement will have no effect on the case," he said.

The former governor, however, said the members of any inquiry panel should refrain from making comments during a case. "I think all the members must know their position and as judge no one has the right to give comments in public, but not everyone is a judge on this panel," he said.

Fakharuddin said PCB lawyer Mark Gay had sent his report on the issue from England but he had not gone through it yet.

London-based sports lawyer Mark Gay's appearance in the first tribunal hearing on Nov 15 took many by surprise and there were reports that Gay had also expressed his concern over the way the samples were taken.

Speaking about the possible duration of the appeals tribunal’s inquiry, Fakharuddin said he could not predict a specific time required for putting together its findings, but it could take three or more days.

The tribunal will resume its proceedings on Tuesday (today) at 11a.m.