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{ Guilty: Former Pakistani cricket captain Salman Butt arrives back in Lahore after the International Cricket Council's verdict  Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Butt was banned for 10 years, five of which were suspended, and Asif for seven, with two years suspended, after being found guilty of being involved in spot-fixing last August. Mohammad Amir was hit with a straight five-year ban and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but both Asif and Butt are still to reveal their next move.

Sources close to the investigation have told The Daily Telegraph both players will have to make full confession and show appropriate remorse for their suspended sentences to be waived, conditions which may deter them from appealing to CAS.

A statement from Asif’s legal representatives, Addleshaw Goddard, on Monday read: “Mohammad Asif has co-operated fully with the International Cricket Council’s investigation and is very disappointed and upset by the decision it reached.

“Together with his legal representatives, he is now considering his response and will not be commenting further due to the ongoing criminal proceedings.”

The three players will today be handed the written judgments of the ICC disciplinary panel but the governing body may be unable to make them public due to a parallel criminal investigation being pursued by police in London.

Last Friday the Crown Prosecution Service said that the three players, as well as agent Mazhar Majeed, face criminal charges and have been summoned to appear before magistrates in London on March 17.

The ICC are taking advice from media law specialists after the CPS advised the board not to publish the judgment for fear of prejudicing any criminal trial.

The report could be published outside Britain but it would be hard to prevent it being accessed on the internet, which may persuade the ICC to keep it private until a later date.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has pledged to help the players with their rehabilitation over the next five years although their own anti-corruption methods have been subjected to a review by the ICC.

“The time since August last year, when the spot-fixing case came to light, has been an extremely painful one for Pakistan cricket. I now hope that this unfortunate saga is put to rest and we can concentrate on cricket,” said Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB.

“We will continue to work with the ICC on this sensitive matter. We will also see how we can help the three players with their education and rehabilitation programme.”

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