/ 19 March 2007

Tributes pour in for Woolmer

South African cricket greats lined up to pay tribute to former coach Bob Woolmer on Monday following his shock death at the World Cup in the West Indies while in charge of Pakistan.

Woolmer, who coached the Proteas between 1994 and 1999, was hailed as an outstanding innovator. The Proteas enjoyed an impressive track record under his leadership after they came in from the cold in the post-apartheid era.

Gary Kirsten said Woolmer had been key to the success of his career.

”He was an outstanding coach. He introduced a new level to the standards of one-day cricket in particular … This is an awful shock,” he told the Star newspaper.

”I have so many good memories of those five years in the 1990s and Bob is central to them.”

Ali Bacher, the former head of the South African cricket board who appointed Woolmer, said that the ex-England Test player was the stand-out coach during his time in South Africa.

”During the five-year period that he was our coach between 1994 to 1999, he was unquestionably the outstanding coach in world cricket. He was the most innovative, he was the most progressive,” said Bacher.

”He was the first to use technology — laptops and video recordings — for his work. At the 1999 World Cup in England, we were the best team and he was the coach. I am terribly saddened by this news. I cannot believe it.”

Woolmer, who became coach of Pakistan in 2004, continued to live in Cape Town after leaving the Proteas.

His resignation in 1999 came after South Africa were knocked out of the World Cup in England following a last-ball run-out of fast bowler Allan Donald in a tied match against Australia.

Donald, who also played under Woolmer at English county side Warwickshire, said his mentor had been the arch professional.

”He was a very, very close friend, actually more than as a coach,” he told the Cricinfo website.

”Bob was an extremely professional man, was an extremely soft person, gave his life to cricket and probably paid for it.”

‘Citizen of world cricket’

Woolmer was a garrulous ”citizen of world cricket” whose pioneering career as a coach was brought to an end by a cruel twist of fate, British newspapers said on Monday.

His use of computer technology to pinpoint players’ weak spots and his cheerful character were the hallmarks of his approach to the game, the Daily Telegraph wrote.

But these qualities were ”tested to the limit by his last seven months in charge of the Pakistan team, which lurched from one crisis to another”, the paper added.

These included the now-notorious match last September in England when umpire Darrell Hair’s decision to dock Pakistan five runs for ball-tampering triggered a sit-in by the team.

The following month, fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif failed drugs tests, although later had their bans overturned on appeal. But despite such difficulties, Woolmer was able to discipline the team, the Times said.

”He took particular care not to offend the Muslim players, supporters and administrators, although he declined to join the team in their prayers,” the paper’s obituary said.

”He would tell them cricket was his religion.”

The ability of Woolmer, a Briton, to work across cultures was also highlighted when he was coach of South Africa between 1994 and 1999, the Guardian said.

It was to ”cricket’s lasting benefit” that Woolmer was involved with South Africa when the country was readmitted to international cricket, the paper added.

The Daily Mirror tabloid was alone in digging for scandal over Woolmer’s death — it suggested he had died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs, although did not give further details.

Tributes from the likes of former Test umpire Dickie Bird — who hailed Woolmer as ”the finest cricket coach in the world” — were far more common.

”His enthusiasm for the game never wavered,” the Times added.

Incredible stress

Meanwhile, it was reported that Woolmer’s wife revealed on Monday the ”incredible stress” that her husband had been under as coach of Pakistan.

His death came less than 24 hours after Pakistan crashed out of the World Cup following a shock defeat to Ireland — an experience Woolmer described as one of the worst of his career.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the ex-Warwickshire coach’s wife, Gill, revealed the pressures placed on her husband as coach of the cricket-mad Pakistan.

”His job coaching there has been incredibly stressful,” she said.

No official cause of death has yet been revealed, with Pakistan’s media manager Pervez Mir saying: ”We are waiting for medical reports.”

But according to reports on Monday, the former England batsman suffered from diabetes and had recently experienced breathing difficulties.

Former Kent teammate and the county’s current chairperson of cricket, Graham Johnson, told BBC Radio Five Live: ”Bob left a huge legacy before he moved on to the international scene. Nothing can express our words of loss.

”The sad thing is that there was so much more to give.”

Johnson believes Woolmer would have relished the chance to coach England. He added: ”I’m sure he would have loved to. But he was very realistic and probably felt his best opportunity to do that would have been a few years ago.

”But he would have loved it. He had a huge belief in the ability of the England team.”

Father figure

Pakistani cricketers on Monday joined the cricket world in mourning the death of Woolmer, remembered as a fatherly figure by captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and his teammates.

”Woolmer was a fatherly figure to all of us and we have lost our greatest supporter,” said Inzamam.

Since joining the Pakistan team in July 2004, Woolmer had dug deep in transforming an inconsistent and split Pakistan team into a united fighting unit.

”We owe him a great salute and would like to do anything his family wants from us,” said Inzamam, who also pledged to carry the coffin of the late coach to South Africa where his last rites will be held.

Pakistan were dumped out of the World Cup after losing their second match to outsiders Ireland by three wickets on Saturday, a defeat which badly hurt Woolmer.

”We had two tragic events in the last two days. We had yet to cope with the defeat and our ouster from the World Cup — then a bigger tragedy came about,” said Inzamam.

Inzamam on Sunday announced he would retire from one-day cricket after the one-dayer against Zimbabwe on Wednesday — a match dedicated to the coach — before Pakistan team head back home.

Vice-captain Younis Khan told said he had a friendly relationship with Woolmer.

”He was a friend of all the players. I used to call his wife, Gill, mom so he used to tease her that I am their third son,” reminisced Younis, who in the last 18 months has lost his father, sister and two brothers in a series of tragedies.

”I know how it feels when you lose your close ones. Bob used to help each and every player and he has left a big void in Pakistan cricket,” said Younis, who is now expected to take over as captain from Inzamam.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi, banned from the first two matches for violating the ICC code of conduct, said Woolmer was like a father to him.

”Bob always treated me and other players as his sons. He would help any player who was in difficulty and he was the best coach under whom I have played,” said Afridi.

Another all-rounder, Azhar Mahmood, said Bob was accessible to all players.

”He used to follow my county performance even when I was not in the Pakistan team. I owe him a great deal and we can never repay his help and services to us,” said Mahmood.

Pakistan’s assistant manager, Asad Mustafa, said players had been left shell-shocked by the news of Woolmer’s death.

”I used to deal all his travel arrangements, so he was close to me and would talk with a big smile all the time. We will not be able to overcome this loss,” said Mustafa. — AFP

 

AFP