Bob Woolmer’s Death Shocks World Cricket

Suicide, murder or cardiac arrest?

"Woolmer was always a calming influence on the team and if stress took his life away, I find it difficult to believe," Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald said on Bob Woolmer's sudden death. Woolmer died within a day after Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup by Ireland's part-timers!

Pakistan Coach Woolmer, 58, was a former England Test batsman and ex-South Africa coach and widely regarded as one of the most innovative coaches in the game. The news of his death has shocked the world- more than Pakistan's defeat. According to media reports, he was discovered unconscious in his hotel room in Kingston and was later pronounced dead at a city hospital. But who is responsible for his death? Pakistani team, Pakistani media or the people who chanted slogans of "Death to Woolmer, Death to Inzamam" after the team's disgraceful performance.

However, those who were his bitter critic till yesterday have become his sympathizers overnight! Imran Khan, who was busy criticizing Woolmer till Sunday evening, has changed his track. Now, he holds the Pakistan cricket team as responsible for his death.

“Whatever the general public in Pakistan says, the fact is that Bob was not responsible for Pakistan’s defeat or any other loss that the team has faced because the coach’s job is simply to teach and instruct," said Khan to a DNA.

According to DNA, after the team's loss to Ireland, a huge crowd had gathered in front of Pakistani captain Inzamam ul-Haq’s Multan residence and chanted slogans of "Death to Woolmer, Death to Inzamam".

"The performance of the Pakistan team is a sheer responsibility of the captain and no one but Inzamam is responsible for the exit of the team from the World Cup. And the poor performance of the Pakistani team is the only cause of Woolmer’s cardiac arrest," Khan said.

Former cricket captain Asif Iqbal said Woolmer's conscience, a great aspect of his character, became the reason for his death.

“Bob had been under intense criticism ever since he had been appointed as the national coach, especially by the former coaches of the team. But the loss to Ireland was too extreme a shock for him to recover from,” he said.

According to former opener Saeed Anwar, Woolmer was a very sensitive person and his team’s loss caused his death, the DNA website reported.

“It is very sad that everyone found his unconscious body in the hotel room when it was too late.”

Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. Upsets and amazements are always its part. In 1996, who would have ever thought minnows like Sri Lanka would win the World cup. However, the same team was beaten by Kenya in 2003. India's defeat to Bangladesh this year is an upset, but it had beaten Pakistan in 1999. Even non-Test playing nations have the potential to beat the so-called Test playing nations.

Nepal has beaten several Test playing nations in Under-19 ICC World Cup. Nepal has beaten Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh among others. So, win and loss is the part of game. However, the way former Pakistani coaches and captains went on to criticize and humiliate a sensitive, assuring and one of the most innovative coaches in the game, Woolmer, after the game. It was disgraceful how they reacted. They should have accepted the defeat in more dignified manner, but they went on to blame each other for Pakistan's defeat. Is this the example of sportsmanship? Besides Miandad, Imran Khan has also been criticizing Woolmer for his coaching and strategies in the recent past.

Woolmer had said prior to World Cup that they were not taking any group or team for granted and not even Ireland, who he declared a good side. Once he said, "I can only coach the players, the rest they would have to do themselves in the field. I can't do it in the field." Woolmer was a positive influence to the Pakistan team in his life. Let's hope, even after his passing he remains the same.