Firm and Fair

Truth functionally, "firm but fair" is the same as "firm and fair" but the two read very differently. In describing the ban on Akhtar and Asif as the former rather than the latter, Osman Samiuddin manages to sneak in a connotation that the two attributes are somehow opposed. Are they?

I had expressed skepticism about appropriate punishment being handed down by the PCB and while it might seem that the bans would take care of that, I note that appeals are underway. Lets see how they are handled.