Pakistan Coach Dies

[Pink Mist]

Bob Woolmer was found unconcious in his hotel room this morning and was transported to hospital where he later died.

At this stage the cause is not known, but he was expected to be facing an enormous backlash on his return to Pakistan after being bundled out of the world cup by Ireland.

[chuchok]

Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer dies

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer died in hospital on Sunday soon after being found unconscious in his hotel room.

Woolmer, 58, played 19 Test matches for England and also coached South Africa.

Pakistan team spokesman Pervez Jamil Mir said Woolmer was pronounced dead within an hour of being taken to hospital after being found on the floor of his room at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

He said team officials had informed Woolmer's family in South Africa.

Woolmer is survived by his wife, Gill, and two sons.

The cause of death was not immediately released.

Pakistan lost in an upset to Ireland at the Cricket World Cup on Saturday, ending its chances of advancing in the tournament.

Woolmer said, after the loss, that he would reassess his future in international cricket, but would like to continue coaching in some capacity.

Mir and team manager Talit Ali made a formal statement at the hospital, with Mir confirming Woolmer's death in a brief statement.

He said the Pakistan Cricket Board was waiting for Woolmer's relatives to arrive before making any arrangements.

"The Pakistan team and management are shocked and saddened by his passing," Mir said. "His next of kin have been informed and we extend our deepest condolences to his family."

[l13unn79]

R.I.P

One of the great characters

Bob Woolmer

you will be missed...though i doubt very much in pakistan after yesterday!!!!!!!

[ozzydom]

R.I.P

One of the great characters

Bob Woolmer

you will be missed...though i doubt very much in pakistan after yesterday!!!!!!!

Its all happening at the World Cup...... Bob Woolmer sadly passes away............

Flintoff and 4 other England players in hot water for hitting the piss.........Inzaman retires from one-day cricket and captaincy of Pakistan...Whats next???

[Crow Boy]

R.I.P

One of the great characters

Bob Woolmer

you will be missed...though i doubt very much in pakistan after yesterday!!!!!!!

Its all happening at the World Cup...... Bob Woolmer sadly passes away............

Flintoff and 4 other England players in hot water for hitting the piss.........Inzaman retires from one-day cricket and captaincy of Pakistan...Whats next???

This was taken from the Australian MSN web site and suggests that Bob Woolmer may have been murdered.

Police treating Woolmer death as suspicious

Wednesday Mar 21 13:50 AEDT

By ninemsn staff and wires

The death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer at the World Cup may have been murder, a Pakistan team spokesman said today.

"The police suspect that Woolmer may have been murdered. They have started an investigation," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Pervez Mir told AFP.

Mark Shields, the deputy chief constable of the Jamaican police force, confirmed that the death was being treated as suspicious.

"The post-mortem into the death of Mr Woolmer was inconclusive," he said.

"But having met with the pathologists and other medical personnel, there is sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the circumstances of Mr Woolmer's death which is now being treated as suspicious."

Reports from the Pakistan camp at the time said that Woolmer was discovered by hotel staff on the floor of his room with his mouth wide open, blood was discovered on the bathroom floor, there was vomit on the walls and signs of diarrhoea.

His death came a day after Pakistan, the former world champions, had been knocked out of the World Cup by Ireland's part-timers.

"We have informed the Woolmer family of developments and the International Cricket Council (ICC), the World Cup officials and all other relevant bodies have been informed of the investigation," added Shields.

Earlier, police had said that the autopsy into the death of Woolmer had proven inconclusive and that further tests would be carried out.

These tests would include toxicology and histology (the study of tissue) analysis.

Pakistan were scheduled to play their final game of the tournament against Zimbabwe at Sabina Park here on Wednesday.

Former Pakistan international leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who was due to take charge of the team for that game, admitted that the squad were having a hard time coming to terms with the tragedy.

Mushtaq said: "There is a great vacuum because Bob was a part of the family.

"When you lose a member of the family, we all know how bad it can be. The whole team is depressed right now. The boys - and even me - have been totally depressed."

"It's a very difficult time, and all we can do is try. We are trying to overcome the emotions. We are making an effort. We are a professional side, and we will give of our best, but it will not be easy."

Mushtaq described the death of Woolmer as "the biggest blow that has befallen the Pakistan team".

"I have been going around to the different rooms, talking to the boys, and trying to get them out, and lift their spirits because they were far too low," he said.

"We have lost a father figure to all of us and we'll give our best shot in Wednesday's match.

"We are talking about someone losing their life. Though I have tried to lighten the mood and cheer the boys up, I myself am feeling very low.

"You are talking about someone dying. It's a tremendous shock and it's very difficult to recover. I myself can't do it, but life must go on."

[Pink Mist]

Cricket is taken very seriously on the sub-continent, maybe Greg Chappell should get a food tester if his team dont perform.

[Crow Boy]

Cricket is taken very seriously on the sub-continent, maybe Greg Chappell should get a food tester if his team dont perform.

If it was ever going to happen it would have been by the kiwis after Trevor Chappel was told to do that infamous underarm bowl in NZ

However bringing this topic back on thread - it is a worrying trend with players and coaches having to have their food tested - could you imagine being the food tester for someone like Shane "give me a dozen pies and a slab of VB" Warne? If the poison didn't kill you the lifestyle would.

[Pink Mist]

That was on thread crowboy, the fact is Bob is dead, now the Bermuda police ( a Police spokesman) are saying, suspicious, possibly murder.

This is taking sports supportin to another level

[Crow Boy]

That was on thread crowboy, the fact is Bob is dead, now the Bermuda police ( a Police spokesman) are saying, suspicious, possibly murder.

This is taking sports supportin to another level

I know mate - I was the one who posted the article from MSN saying that they now think he was murdered

I was referring to the aside about Greg Chappel

That clarified I agree that it is a serious and very sad day if Cricket has dropped to this level where coaches are being poisoned because a team lost - if that spreads England will NEVER get another coach

[Pink Mist]

I am being serious, Chappeli should be lookin at his options.

have you seen the news footage of efigees being burnt, that is pretty serious sh!te

can you imagine burnin one of Boof if he didnt get a ton??

[Old Croc]

Heard a report this morning (via a journos contact in the Jamaican police) that Woolmer has been strangled. Apparently he has a broken bone in the neck and typical bruising.

They believe it was someone known to him.

[lotus eater]

Yes, cricket is taken seriously in the sub-continent - though not more so than soccer in England. The suggestion that the coach of a team would be attacked, much less killed, by a cricket fanatic because of the team's pathetic performance is absurd. If anything a mindless fanatic would attack the captain or one of the poor performing players - or an umpire, if there was a decisive controversial decision by him.

If this is a murder, it's either purely a personal matter - with the timing being a coincidence. Or something sinister involving betting - with woolmer being somehow involved. I hope it turns out to be none of these - or murder.

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

If he was murdered (by a betting ring - not by a nutcase) then the Pakistan team should be permanently banned from international cricket.

Thats sad for the people of that country who like their cricket, but its the only solution.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Barney_the_Dinosaur

[bkkandrew]

Jamaican police fingerprinted the Pakistani Team today! The word is that one of the team (about to be exposed for 'throwing' the game against the Windies) is the prime suspect...

[gburns57au]

Breaking news from the News.com site.....

Woolmer died from aphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

[Old Croc]

Breaking news from the News.com site.....

Woolmer died from aphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

That confirms the report I heard yesterday.

Based on subsequent behaviour, I've had someone in mind as a suspect for several days. I won't name him.

[LaoPo]

BREAKING NEWS

Just saw the report on BBC1 that the Jamaican Police has declared the death of Mr. Woolmer as a 'Murder Case'.

Woolmer death treated as murder

Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer was murdered in his hotel room on Sunday after the team's World Cup loss to Ireland, Jamaican police say.

A post-mortem examination established that the former England player had died as a result of "manual strangulation", police Commissioner Lucius Thomas said.

"In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated as murder," he added.

Police have appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

The statement was read by a police spokesman at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel - where Mr Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious by staff on Sunday morning.

"Bob was a large man - it would have taken some significant force to subdue him" Mark Shields deputy chief commissioner"

World Cup to continue

Mark Shields, the deputy chief commissioner of Jamaican police, said there could be one or more people involved in the murder and urged the killer or killers to give themselves up.

"Bob was a large man. It would have taken some significant force to subdue him," Mr Shields said.

He said there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry which would suggest Mr Woolmer knew who his killer or killers were.

Everyone who was staying at the Pegasus hotel where Mr Woolmer was found on Sunday is being questioned and authorities are studying CCTV footage from the hotel.

Mr Shields said that police were ruling nothing out and had "lots of lines of inquiry".

'Resolute and strong'

Earlier, Jamaican police questioned members of Pakistan's cricket squad over the death.

The Pakistan cricket squad have been questioned by police.

After being interviewed for about an hour and fingerprinted, the team left for the resort of Montego Bay.

They are due to return to Pakistan on Saturday. They were not interviewed under caution.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, also present at the news conference, said that the rest of the competition would go ahead as planned.

"It's a challenge to the game to be resolute and strong and finish the World Cup in good spirit," Mr Speed said.

The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Kingston says Mr Woolmer's death has cast a long shadow over the cricket World Cup.

From:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6482981.stm

Further news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/default.stm

LaoPo

Edited March 23, 2007 by LaoPo

[Crow Boy]

Further explanation from MSN Australia Website http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=255334

Pakistan players finger-printed in Woolmer probe

Friday Mar 23 07:31 AEDT

Pakistan's World Cup players have been fingerprinted as the investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer becomes embroiled in a fevered round of speculation and denial.

The questioning comes on the same day that two Jamaican newspapers claimed that 58-year-old Woolmer, who died on Sunday, had been strangled.

That alleged cause of death follows earlier rumours of poisoning and even killing at the hands of members of the criminal underworld keen to avoid exposure in allegations of match-fixing which may have arisen in a book that Woolmer was planning to write.

"We're going through a process of speaking to people, including members of the team," said Mark Shields, the deputy chief commissioner of the Jamaican police force.

Shields added that all of the Pakistan squad have been fingerprinted before being allowed to leave for the Jamaican resort of Montego Bay later in the day, where they will stay for two days before returning home after their early elmination from the tournament.

However, the Pakistan team are furious that they are being cast in some sections of the media as prime suspects in the investigation.

"The impression is being given that the Pakistan team are suspects. This is not true," said team manager Talat Ali.

"We are being interviewed first because we are leaving for Montego Bay later this afternoon, but other people will also be interviewed by police."

Earlier, Pakistan team spokesman Pervez Mir confirmed the probe had been extended to the players, saying that police were trying to ascertain Woolmer's last movements and stressing that the questioning was not carried out under caution.

The police asked the Pakistani players "when did you last see Bob, what were his last movements, what happened after the game... did he order anything in his room?" Mir said.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Gleaner said a "high-ranking police officer" had confirmed that fresh evidence has surfaced which suggested that Woolmer was strangled in his room at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel between overnight Saturday.

According to the police officer, Woolmer was found half naked in his room, partially wrapped in a towel, the newspaper said.

"A bone in the neck, near the glands, was broken, and this suggests that somebody might have put some pressure on it," the officer told the newspaper.

"We are now treating this as a homicide."

The Jamaica Observer also quoted unnamed sources close to the investigation as saying that bones in the lower part of Woolmer's face were broken, suggesting he had been strangled.

Mir dismissed the suggestions, and also speculation over a link with match-fixing as "totally baseless and premature".

"I'm afraid I cannot count these as accurate because the Jamaican police force hasn't given us official information as to what were the causes of Bob's death," Mir said.

"I hope the police come up with a statement and some answers as soon as possible," he said, calling on people to be "considerate and sensitive".

Woolmer died in hospital on Sunday after being found unconscious in his hotel room a day after Pakistan were knocked out of the World Cup following a shock defeat by minnows Ireland.

Shields said on Tuesday that an autopsy conducted on Woolmer's body by a government pathologist proved inconclusive as to the cause of death which was being treated as "suspicious".

Shields said the police were awaiting the results of the toxicology and histology analysis from Woolmer's tissue sample.

But the Jamaica force have now flown in a pathologist from Florida for a second opinion.

Shields, an Englishman, justified the move, saying: "If I was in London I would have asked for overseas help in the same way."

Meanwhile, Woolmer's widow Gill admitted that there was a "possibility" her husband was murdered.

In an interview with Britain's Sky News television from her home in South Africa, she said: "I suppose there is always the possibility," apparently contradicting statements she made to Indian television in which she dismissed the possibility of a conspiracy or a match-fixing link.

"I mean some of the cricketing fraternity, fans are extremely volatile and passionate about the game and what happens in the game, and also a lot of it in Asia, so I suppose there is always the possibility that it could be that."

After Pakistan had beaten Zimbabwe in their final match on Wednesday, the entire squad gathered at the team hotel where Woolmer died to hold a memorial service.

[Farma]

Sky news is reporting Pakistan TV saying an arrest has been made. The person arrested is non Jamaican.

Further report. The man had been seen approaching cricketers over the past few days and his mobile phone records are being checked.

Edited March 23, 2007 by Farma

[LaoPo]

I suppose many rumours hit the newslines now:

Police deny arrest made in Woolmer murder investigation from some 35 minutes ago

Jamaican deputy police commissioner Mark Shields has denied they have arrested a person in connection with Bob Woolmer's death.

Reports were claiming that a person who was not a West Indies national had been apprehended but that is now being refuted

http://www.tv3.co.nz/Policedenyarrestmadei...18/Default.aspx

LaoPo

[bkkandrew]

Breaking news from the News.com site.....

Woolmer died from aphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

That confirms the report I heard yesterday.

Based on subsequent behaviour, I've had someone in mind as a suspect for several days. I won't name him.

My source, with the England team, says that 3 Pakisatani team members are prime suspects and are placed at the time of death in Woolmer's room. Refused to give me the names... Who were you pointing the finger at?

[bkkandrew]

Breaking news from the News.com site.....

Woolmer died from aphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

That confirms the report I heard yesterday.

Based on subsequent behaviour, I've had someone in mind as a suspect for several days. I won't name him.

My source, with the England team, says that 3 Pakisatani team members are prime suspects and are placed at the time of death in Woolmer's room. Refused to give me the names... Who were you pointing the finger at?

Well - I did tell you all!

(From the BBC)

Despite a request to fly home, Jamaican police are re-interviewing (as I write) Inzamam-ul-Haq (The Pakistani team captain) and Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistani assistant team coach). They are not (as yet) under arrest, but are unable to leave pending the outcome of the interrogation...

The rest of their team await their fate in advance of their planned (but potentially prevented) departure of 23.40 GMT today...

Edited March 24, 2007 by bkkandrew

[Old Croc]

Breaking news from the News.com site.....

Woolmer died from aphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

That confirms the report I heard yesterday.

Based on subsequent behaviour, I've had someone in mind as a suspect for several days. I won't name him.

My source, with the England team, says that 3 Pakisatani team members are prime suspects and are placed at the time of death in Woolmer's room. Refused to give me the names... Who were you pointing the finger at?

Well - I did tell you all!

(From the BBC)

Despite a request to fly home, Jamaican police are re-interviewing (as I write) Inzamam-ul-Haq (The Pakistani team captain) and Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistani assistant team coach). They are not (as yet) under arrest, but are unable to leave pending the outcome of the interrogation...

The rest of their team await their fate in advance of their planned (but potentially prevented) departure of 23.40 GMT today...

No surprises for me there as well.

[Crow Boy]

Follow up story from March 27, source MSN Australia

Shields says no evidence leads to team

Pakistan no longer suspects in Woolmer case

Cricinfo staff

March 27, 2007

Mark Shields: "I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad" © AFP

Pakistan's players have been ruled out as suspects in the murder of Bob Woolmer, according to the deputy commissioner of Jamaican police. Mark Shields, the detective in charge, said: "It's fair to say they are now being treated as witnesses.

"I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad," he said in Australia's Herald Sun. "There is still a very strong possibility that [Woolmer] knew the person or persons."

Shields said the players could be ordered back to the West Indies if the situation changed, but there were two diplomats from Pakistan's Washington embassy representing the squad in Jamaica. "[The diplomats] were taken to the crime scene for the first time today," Shields said. Pakistan left the Caribbean on Saturday and stopped over in London on their way home after exiting the World Cup in the first round.

Shields said investigators were "nowhere near" being able to pinpoint potential suspects or name names and said reports of three fans who were wanted for questioning were "unhelpful". The British press "are totally wrong with all due respect on this occasion," Shields told a news conference. "The reality, as I've said before, is that there are many potential suspects in this investigation and even more potential witnesses, and we are nowhere near the stage of being able to start naming names in terms of suspects."

Shields was earlier quoted by The Times saying detectives were trying to trace three Pakistani fans who socialised with players at Kingston's Pegasus Hotel where Woolmer was strangled. The report said the three were believed to have left Jamaica shortly after Woolmer was found dead on March 18.

CCTV footage from the 12th floor of the Pegasus Hotel is expected to help the investigators, who have started viewing the tapes of the day Woolmer was strangled. They have also begun to go through Woolmer's laptop to see if anything on the hard drive can help their inquiries.

Jeff Rees, the ICC anti-corruption chief investigator, is due to look at the report of Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, from the Ireland-Pakistan match to determine whether there is any link between the result and Woolmer's death a day later. Shields said he was looking at the possibility the killing was connected to match-fixing, but stressed he was keeping all lines of inquiry open.

© Cricinfo

[Old Croc]

It's hard to see the Jamaican Police actually solving this.

It took them 5 days to work out it was a murder, and 1 1/2 weeks to get around to viewing the hotel tapes! Any culprits will die of old age before they organise an extradition.

[Crow Boy]

It's hard to see the Jamaican Police actually solving this.

It took them 5 days to work out it was a murder, and 1 1/2 weeks to get around to viewing the hotel tapes! Any culprits will die of old age before they organise an extradition.

Sadly I think you are correct - by which time the perpetrator has long departed, can't be extradited back, and the material evidence is contaminated by people walking all over the murder scene.

I am still somewhat surprised that no one seems (or has been reported) to have heard anything at the time. Woolmer was a fairly big man and from previous statements there would have been a struggle.

[Crow Boy]

Investigators considering other methods of obtaining evidence

Laptop reveals no clues on match-fixing so far

Cricinfo staff

March 27, 2007

'We're exploring the possibility of match-fixing, but that's only one line of inquiry' - Shields © AFP

The Jamaican police investigating the murder of the late Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer have analysed his laptop and have found no evidence so far of match-fixing and betting. Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of police told a news conference in Jamaica's Pegasus Hotel all possible motives were being considered, as well as match-fixing.

"We have Bob Woolmer's computer," Shields said. "We are looking at what is on the hard drive. We're exploring the possibility of match-fixing, but that's only one line of inquiry."

Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room a day after Pakistan's shock defeat to Ireland and Shields said that the police will look into the betting odds for the match. Investigators are also relying on the footage from the hotel surveillance camera, for which Shields pointed that it would be a very time consuming process, having to study the footage frame-by-frame.

With no solid clues emerging from any source yet, Shields added that his team were considering other methods of clinching evidence such as getting DNA samples from all persons who were in the hotel at the time of murder and investigators traveling to other islands to interview players and officials for useful bits of information. The Pakistan players and officials underwent DNA testing and questioning by the police before their departure and all have been cleared of any wrong doing.

"At the end of it, it might be that we might identify a suspect or suspects," Shields said. "The reality as I've said before is that there are many potential suspects in this investigation and even more potential witnesses, and we are nowhere the stage of being able to start naming names in terms of suspects."

Meanwhile, Perviz Mir, the Pakistan team media manager, and Tasnim Aslam, the foreign ministry spokesperson, hit out at all the malicious rumours of match fixing being the primary motive for murder, saying that it had deeply affected the players, already traumatized by the events.

© Cricinfo

[LaoPo]

Major development in Woolmer case

The inquest into the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer has been postponed because of "significant developments" in the case.

Woolmer was found dead in his Kingston hotel on 18 March, the day after his side lost to Ireland in the World Cup.

The inquest was set for 23 April but has now been delayed after recent, undisclosed findings.

"The coroner has been advised there are recent and significant developments," the Jamaican justice ministry said.

"These new developments are critical to the progress and the eventual result of the investigation."

The results of the new findings will determine whether the inquest will be held at a later date, the statement went on to say.

It is believed the ex-England batsman was strangled.

Police probing Woolmer's murder had sent CCTV images to Scotland Yard for further consideration.

A team of four officers from Scotland Yard are in Jamaica to help with the inquiry, following a formal request from the Jamaican authorities.

Pakistan also sent as an observer senior police investigator Mir Zubair Mahmood, who led the investigation into the murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi.

He and another security official had come at the request of the Jamaican government, an official said.

Two forensic experts from Interpol, the France-based international police agency, have also been helping the investigation.

Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields has said the foreign investigators will help with DNA analysis and also examine theories that Woolmer may have been poisoned before being strangled.

From BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6547925.stm?ls

LaoPo