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Embarrassed Jamaican Police Admit Woolmer Was Not Murdered |
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Written by Neil Simmons
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
In a saga that spoiled the cricket World Cup and ensured the focus was on external things, Jamaican Police had revealed that late Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was murdered.
Now almost three months after the tragic event an embarrassed Jamaican Police Force has admitted that Woolmer died of natural causes.
Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room on the twelfth floor in a pool of vomit and blood on March 18, one day after Pakistan suffered a shocking defeat to minnows Ireland. That defeat ensured that Pakistan was out of the cricket World Cup. Unconfirmed sources had revealed that there were obvious signs of struggle in the room, although police refused to say they were pursuing a murder investigation.
Days later they changed their tune and said Woolmer's death was a homicide. Jamaican police also interviewed members of Pakistan's cricket squad in connection with his death. Team manager Talat Ali said that the police were spending an hour each with the players. The team was also fingerprinted.
Conspiracy theories abounded after his death with former Pakistani fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz saying an illegal betting syndicate may have played a part in Woolmer's death. Speaking to News Limited newspapers, Sarfraz had said Woolmer might have been on the verge of revealing secrets of match-fixings, which has plagued Pakistan cricket over the years.
Jamaican place said Woolmer had died of manual strangulation and because no strangers were seen in the hotel, they said Woolmer must have known his killers. The obvious suspects then were Pakistan team members, who admitted to being in shock following his death.
Today the Jamaica Constabulary Force commissioner Lucius Thomas admitted at a news conference that Woolmer had died of natural causes and that they were closing the case. “The police have now closed the investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer," Mr Thomas said.
Woolmer's widow Gill said in a statement that she and her sons were relieved after being informed "Bob died of natural causes and that no foul play is suspected in his death.
Woolmer was the coach of the South African team and was also an erstwhile Test Cricketer. Although Woolmer played 19 tests for England, he shot to fame for his reliance on laptops soon after South Africa re-entered cricket. His glory days with the South Africa team between 1994 and 1999, when he guided them to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
However a mathematical error ensured that his team was ousted from the Cup although the match with Australia was tied. He assumed the mantle of Pakistan team in 2004 and was in charge during 28 test matches. During his tenure the team had 10 wins, 11 defeats and seven draws. On the one-day side he was at the helm for 69 matches, winning 37, and losing 29, with three no-results.
It was controversy, which kept Woolmer in the spotlight. It all began last summer when the Pakistani team was forced to forfeit a test match at the Oval following accusations of ball tampering. Following this Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were accused of drug abuse, wh8ich caused them to be banned. The bans were later revoked, but the pair missed the World Cup due to injury.
Meanwhile Pakistan's former captain Imran Khan has said the Jamaican Police should apologize to the Pakistani team. BBC reports that Khan wants the Pakistan Board to sue those responsible for the "humiliation that the Pakistan team went through".
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