Pakistan Cricket Coach Murdered

by Jordan Yerman | March 22, 2007 at 12:54 pm

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UPDATE: It looks like Robert Woolmer was strangled to death following his side's defeat in the World Cup tournament in Jamaica, and police believe that he knew his killer, as there were no signs of forced entry. The investigation continues amid rumors of revenge and possible match-fixing.

[q
url="http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/murdered-cricket-coach-knew-his-strangler/2007/03/23/1174597881391.html"]Cricket
faced its darkest hour yesterday as Jamaican police declared Woolmer
was murdered and confirmed they would investigate whether he was killed
to stop him exposing match-fixing.

Two intriguing details emerged: first, pages are reportedly missing
from the book Woolmer was writing; second, there was no sign of forced
entry into the Jamaican hotel room where the coach was murdered.

Police have fingerprinted every player in the Pakistan side after
finding prints in Woolmer's room at Kingston's Pegasus Hotel, where he
was strangled some time between last Saturday night and Sunday morning.
But they have no firm suspects in the case.

The Australian cricket commentator Richie Benaud dismisses the
corruption line. He wrote the foreword to a forthcoming Woolmer book,
and says it contained nothing about match-fixing. Rather, he suspects
the killer was a crazed fan, enraged by Pakistan's humiliating loss to
Ireland in the World Cup last weekend.

"He was not going to expose anything at all," Benaud told Channel
Nine. "It is someone who was upset that Ireland beat Pakistan in a
cricket match, which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

Nevertheless, police have little doubt that 58-year-old Woolmer knew his killer.

[/q]

PREVIOUSLY:

Coach Woolmer's death coming the day after his side's defeat in the Cricket World Cup makes it a very suspicious death indeed.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer died aged 58 on Sunday after being found unconscious in his hotel room the morning after his side's shock World Cup exit, the team announced.

"Robert Andrew Woolmer has passed away today and the entire Pakistan team and management are shocked and saddened by his passing," team spokesman Parvez Mir said, reading a statement.

"His next of kin have been informed and we extend our deepest condolences to his family. The chairman of the PCB has also been informed.

"There will be a coroner's inquest and in keeping with Jamaican law an autopsy will take place into his death.

"Further information will be released by the PCB at the earliest opportunity once it has been received from the hospital."