Spot Fixing Trio

So the verdict has been deferred till 5 February. If you are a conspiracy theorist then it is easy to read into situation and make theories and propagate.
Pakistan had the best bowling line up in the world last summer, Asif and Amir were rightfully challenging for the best opening bowlers in the world. In Salman Butt Pakistan also had a long term solution to the captaincy problem and a solid, albeit, still unproven, opening bat, an Achilles heel for Pakistan cricket team for years.
ICC, Mafia, India etc. conspired to get rid of a promising and potentially world cup winning team by planting false stories etc. etc.
The fact that India has not allowed any Pakistani player in IPL for three years, or have not toured or played Pakistan for few years and Pakistan had just beaten Australia and Englad means there is enough fuel to fire up imagination. ICC, PCB or global cricketing powers, with the exception of ECB who were right in not helping after Ijaz Butt shenanigans, has not helped the matter by dragging the affair and banning players from playing any cricket, who till now are effectively just accused, not proven guilty. Delaying the verdict till 5 February also means none of the players will be able to participate in the world cup even if proven innocent, and that is a big IF. It also raises questions about ICC and how they are prosecute rs as well as judges, how can a body maintain independence and impartiality in providing justice when it is convicting accused people and also appoints judges that are paid by them to judge on those matters. That is a clear conflict of interest. The matter will not rest here, it will go to CSA in switzerland, unless ICC acquits all three of them and chances of ice cream remaining intact in a pizza oven are better then these three getting off scot free. But serious questions will be raised which ever way ICC goes.
As for conspiracy theories, two things, the squad Pakistan had in summer 2010 was nothing compared to the squad in 1996, try and check out the players or even compared to squad in 2003. Yet they didn't even get to the semi final, so to assume the whole world will go out of their way to stop couple of Pakistani players who have not even had one season together is simply absurd. Pakistan had had much better bowling attacks in 80s and 90s, this pairing had potential but nothing more.
It is very likely, considering Pakistan's current financial, social, economic and moral state to think that some of our players had strayed and done things they should not have. May be this has been happening for some time and they became bolder and took liberties till they got caught. I have not encountered a single Pakistani cricket fan who does not believe that Pakistan team has fixed matched at one point or another.
In my mind I have no doubt that they are involved, difficult to prove in a court of law, but enough to suggest something fishy. My gut feeling is that there will be three tier punishment from ICC, harshest one reserved for Salman Butt, probably second tier for Asif but his previous record will go against him and he may also get lumped into Butt category. There is very good chance that Amir may walk away scott free due to his age, influence of captain, witness statements and pressure from Pakistan administrators (I know it is unbelievable to think Ijaz Butt has any left but these games are played behind closed doors)and mitigating circumstances may save Amir. If this was to happen then probably everyone will be happy, except Salman and Asif, Pakistan fans are not too bothered if they loose Salman Butt, loosing Asif will be disappointing but they have learned to live without him, the one they all want to save is Amir. Obviously Asif and Butt will not be happy, I am quite sure Butt will go to CSA and eventually ICC will play a long protracted legal game on the basis of deeper pockets which either Salman will give up on or get a result when there will be nothing to play for him. The most likely scenario is that Asif will turn on Butt and spill the beans and become a "state witness" which will still not help him much but as a fan that will be the best scenario to finally find the whole truth. Let us hope ICC can reel in Asif and cut him a deal for a tell all. In any case there is money to be made by betting on the status of their future, as it is already happening, and for either one of them to write a book and reel in the dough, I am sure NOTW wouldn't mind offering them a decent deal to get the inside story of all of this and more.