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Definitely Not Cricket, Part Deux
It was revealed there were two marks on Woolmer's throat after he was found unconscious and lying in his hotel room bathroom near pools of blood and vomit two days ago, less than 24 hours after Pakistan's shock World Cup defeat to debutants Ireland. Vomit in unusually high places on the walls indicated to police that Woolmer may have been involved in a struggle.
Investigators have also begun to trawl through security tapes from the Pegasus Hotel in Jamaica where the team is staying with claims last night the former Pakistan coach was about to reveal the shady world of match-fixing in a new book. Jamaican police have made it clear no one is above suspicion but Pakistan officials insist the team would still head home from the World Cup on Saturday. Deputy commissioner of police Mark Shields confirmed a murder investigation was under way. "We have already informed the Woolmer family of these developments," he said. "Having met with the pathologists, our medical personnel and investigators, there is now sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Woolmer, which we are now treating as suspicious." Woolmer, 58, ordered room service after returning to the hotel on Saturday night after the match. He was found by a hotel attendant who called an ambulance, but was pronounced dead soon after arriving at hospital. The room in which he collapsed remained sealed off by police with investigators searching for clues. Hotel staff were last night banned from talking about the incident, which has left players questioning whether the World Cup should continue. "There are many conspiracy theories," Pakistan media manager Perves Mir said. "The police are definitely treating it as suspicious. We cannot believe what has happened." Woolmer's wife, Gill, said that her husband had not complained of any chest pain after the match. There were allegations last night by former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz that Woolmer had been murdered by a betting syndicate. Nawaz felt that almost everybody in control of the game is involved in betting and Woolmer was perhaps about to reveal all in a book called Discovering Cricket. "Has Woolmer carried with him to the grave dark secrets that could have brought ruin upon Pakistan's players?" he said. "Did he pay for being the unwitting receptacle of information that was never to be shared?" Nawaz claimed that at least five bookies from Pakistan had landed in the West Indies when the World Cup began and had been in touch with Pakistani players. Pakistan, which cannot make the Super Eight phase, was scheduled to play its final match last night against Zimbabwe. The team returned to the training park early yesterday in Jamaica and, in a mark of respect, started their session with a game of soccer, as Woolmer always liked to do. Team manager Talat Ali denied suggestions his squad would not be allowed to head home on Saturday. "There are no police restrictions on the team," he said. "As planned, we are flying back on Saturday." Posted by: tipper 2007-03-21 |
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