Pakistan’s World Cup cricketers provided DNA samples on Friday as Jamaican police probed the murder of their coach Bob Woolmer and awaited results of tests on his body for more clues on how he died.
The chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Nasim Ashraf, stressed no member of the Pakistan team was suspected by police of Woolmer’s murder on Sunday.
The team had been through ”unbelievable stress and trauma” and simply wanted to fly home as soon as possible, he said. A team spokesperson said they would return on Saturday.
On Thursday night, Jamaican police had revealed that Woolmer (58) one of the most famous figures in the game, had been strangled.
The news sent shock waves through cricket — a sport still concentrated in former British colonies — and completely overshadowed the action in the ninth edition of the 32-year-old tournament.
For the second day running on Friday, the Pakistan team assisted the police inquiry, giving DNA samples having been interviewed at length and fingerprinted the day before.
”Our main concern now is the safety and welfare of the Pakistani team in Jamaica,” Ashraf told a news conference in Islamabad. ”My earnest desire and effort at this time is that the team comes back and joins their families.”
Jamaican police said that they had yet to receive toxicology and histology (study of body tissue) reports from tests on Woolmer’s body.
The coroner said the body would not be released until after an inquest.
Betting cartel
A statement from Woolmer’s family in Cape Town attempted to dispel growing speculation in media around the world that he had been a victim of a betting cartel, upset at Pakistan’s shock World Cup exit to debutants Ireland the day before his death.
”To the best of the family’s knowledge there is absolutely nothing to suggest Bob was involved in match fixing,” his wife and sons said in a statement.
”Contrary to reports, they can confirm there is nothing in any book Bob had written that would explain this situation and there were no threats received,” the statement said, read by Woolmer’s manager Michael Cohen at his home in Cape Town.
Some media reports had said that Woolmer was writing a book that would expose sensitive details of match fixing.
Cheating of this kind in cricket has been a blight over the last 15 years and South African captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life in 2000 for the offence.
Woolmer was the South African coach during this period but he was regarded in cricket circles as being untainted by the Cronje scandal.
The competition soldiered on on Friday with a match which normally would have cricket fans salivating: India versus Sri Lanka in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
India, the 1983 champions, needed to beat the 1996 winners to progress to the next stage but Sri Lanka proved far too strong, cruising to a 69-run victory.
Opening batsman Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva struck fifties to guide Sri Lanka to 254 for six against India in the crunch Group B match at the Queen’s Park Oval.
India never were up with the run chase and eventually capitulated to 185 all out. The wily spinner Muttiah Muralitharan bagged man-of-the-match status with three wickets at a cost of 41 runs.
Only a highly unlikely heavy defeat for Bangladesh at the hands of group whipping boys Bermuda on Sunday can prevent India joining Pakistan in an early, shock exit.
”I hope people realise that it’s just a game,” said Indian coach Greg Chappell. ”The guys went out there and did their best — it wasn’t good enough on this occasion.”
West Indies and Ireland contested the other match at Sabina Park, Kingston. In a rain-affected match, the hosts were set 190 to win from 48 overs and polished them off with eight wickets to spare. – Reuters