Bob Woolmer Dead

[devilsadvocate]

Death treated as murder

Woolmer died of strangulation

Cricinfo staff

March 22, 2007

The death of Bob Woolmer is now being treated as a murder case. During a press conference in Jamaica it was revealed that he died of asphyxiation by manual strangulation. Post mortem results show that Woolmer was strangled.

Police spokesman Karl Angell said: "The pathologist's report states that Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation. In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder."

Paul Condon, the former Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police who conducted a report into match-fixing and corruption in 2001, will assist in the investigations.

"We have a lot of lines of inquiry but there are no suspects," said Mark Shields, Jamaica's deputy commissioner of police who is now heading the police investigation. He addressed the press conference along with Malcolm Speed and Chris Dehring, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Windies World Cup 2007.

Speed confirmed that the World Cup will continue. Dehring said: "We have reviewed the security arrangements in place and we feel that are adequate."

More to follow ...

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wc2007/ ... 86794.html

[devilsadvocate]

What an absolute disgrace.

I feel soooo sorry for his family and friends.

ITS JUST A GAME!!!

It's terrible that our great game is being dragged through the mud at the moment.

[Hondo]

It's very sad .... I am dreading the next instalment in this story it just gets worse as it goes on. That would be devastating news to his family.

[Dogwatcher]

At this point, I'd be happy if Australia didn't win this World Cup as it's forever going to be tainted.

[Rik E Boy]

Terrible, just terrible news!

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

Horrible news. As others have said it is sickening to think that something like this happens as a result of a game.

[blink]

There is obviously something very dodgy going on with these subcontinent nations.

Makes you wonder how many results in this World Cup have been true wins?? Not just this World Cup but all games...

[Dutchy]

Dont think this has been mentioned but playing the devlis advocate I find this fact quite interesting -

"He had been South Africa's coach in the 1990s when the team's captain, Hansie Cronje, admitted taking money to fix matches and was banned for life. Woolmer was never implicated"

[bulldogs]

How can the great game of cricket come to this, im to feeling very sick and who now really cares about the world cup.

[rod_rooster]

How can the great game of cricket come to this, im to feeling very sick and who now really cares about the world cup.

This news certainly puts things in perspective that's for sure.

[Blue Boy]

Dont think this has been mentioned but playing the devlis advocate I find this fact quite interesting -

"He had been South Africa's coach in the 1990s when the team's captain, Hansie Cronje, admitted taking money to fix matches and was banned for life. Woolmer was never implicated"

Was talkin about this last night and wasnt sure if he was the coach @ the same time !!!

[ORDoubleBlues]

Kinda makes you think about that plane crash that took Hanse Kronje's life!

Especially considering he was due to give evidence a couple of weeks after into an inquiry into match fixing.

[rod_rooster]

Just heard news that arrests have been made in relation to the murder of Bob Woolmer. I don't have any more details but we should hear more very soon.

[magpie in the 80's]

Arrest in Woolmer murder case: reports
Friday Mar 23 17:00 AEDT
Pakistani and Indian television has reported an arrest in relation to the murder of cricket coach Bob Woolmer in Jamaica.

Police confirmed earlier today that Woolmer, who was head coach for Pakistan, was strangled to death in his hotel room in Kingston on Sunday morning.

New Delhi Television reports the person arrested is not Jamaican and has had his mobile telephone confiscated.

Jamaican police were unwilling to reveal more details at this stage. There were also uncomfirmed reports that some pages of Woolmer's autobiography were missing.




More to come . .

[Aerie]

Dont think this has been mentioned but playing the devlis advocate I find this fact quite interesting -

"He had been South Africa's coach in the 1990s when the team's captain, Hansie Cronje, admitted taking money to fix matches and was banned for life. Woolmer was never implicated"

That's what I had been thinking. Interesting... probably coincidental...

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

pretty sure a few more things i have heard will come out in the next few days, to make this even worse.

[magpie in the 80's]

Woolmer arrest reports 'nonsense'
Friday Mar 23 17:00 AEDT
ninemsn staff
with wires

Reports that an arrest has been made in relation to the murder of cricket coach Bob Woolmer are nonsense, says the police officer leading the investigation.

Jamaica's deputy police commissioner, Mark Shields, says news of an arrest reported on Indian television is completely false.

Pakistani and Indian television had reported an arrest in relation to the murder of Bob Woolmer at cricket's World Cup in Jamaica.

Police confirmed earlier today that Woolmer, who was head coach for Pakistan, was strangled to death in his hotel room in Kingston on Sunday morning.

Earlier, rumours had swirled of possible poisoning and even killing at the hands of criminals keen to avoid exposure in claims of match-fixing which may have arisen in a book Woolmer was planning to write.

The false arrest report follows a call from West Indies great Michael Holding to the ICC to properly investigate cricket's illegal gambling links.

In a press conference today, Jamaican police spokesman Karl Angell confirmed Woolmer had been the victim of foul play.

"The pathologist report states that Mr. Woolmer's death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation," Angell said.

"In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Robert Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder."

Woolmer was declared dead in hospital Sunday after being found unconscious in his room. He was 58.

The day before, Pakistan — the 1992 World Cup winners — were knocked out of the 2007 version in the Caribbean.

Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of police, earlier suggested more than one person may have been involved.

"Bob was a large man and therefore it would have taken some significant force to subdue him and cause strangulation, but we do not know at this stage how many people were in the room," he said.

Shields also indicated there were no signs of forced entry as "the room was undisturbed and all his belongings were intact."

He said authorities were still waiting for histology and toxicology tests, which would indicate whether any substances were involved.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the game of cricket "cannot be put off by a cowardly criminal act."

"The best way to do that is for the teams that remain in the tournament to play out a great World Cup, something that will help put the smile back on the face of our great sport," he said in a statement.

Speed said the initial "wave of sadness" over Woolmer's death had now been replaced with "a profound sense of shock."

Woolmer's death has sparked off numerous conspiracy theories, most notably the claims of former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz that crooked bookies were behind the murder.

Team spokesman Pervez Mir dismissed suggestions the death was linked to match-fixing as "totally baseless and premature."

Woolmer was South Africa's coach when former captain Hansie Cronje was bought off by bookmakers.

Asked if the team had discussed such a possibility, Mir said: "Absolutely not. The players, as far as I know, have not spoken about any match-fixing or any match-fixing incident because there is no question of that."

The team were also furious they were being cast by some parts of the media as prime suspects.

"The impression is being given that the Pakistan team are suspects. This is not true," team manager Talat Ali said.

Shields said the players had been helpful and there was no reason why they could not travel home as planned.

Woolmer became coach of Pakistan in 2004 and had talked of the stresses of managing one of the most volatile teams in world cricket.

Last year the team forfeited a Test against England after a ball-tampering row, the first time ever a game had ended such a way, and preparations for the World Cup were badly hit when his two best fast bowlers failed drugs tests.

with AFP

[gonzo]

I started the thread after getting up real early and finding the story online.
At first I thought "suicide", but then heard and saw the bloke's interviews. Not a realistic explanation.
Then natural causes. Not super fit looking, under stress, muscles fail, veins pop.
But murder! Walking talking Jesus!!
If it is, it was a big time Paki gambler whose fortune had just been shot down by the Eire loss.

Watch this space.

[Mr66]

It must have been a Pakistani player.
Who else would have done such a good job of choking!
(Thanks for the reminder mal)

[dinglinga]

could also be a south african ... also good at choking