POLICE CONFIRM WOOLMER DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES
12 June 2007
By Andy Hampson, PA Sport
Jamaican police have confirmed they now believe Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was not murdered and died of natural causes.
Woolmer, 58, died after being found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on March 18, the day after his side had suffered a shock defeat to Ireland in the World Cup.
An initial pathologist's report concluded Woolmer had been strangled to death and a murder investigation was launched.
After further investigations, however, police are now confident that the initial report was wrong.
Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields said: "We have conducted a thorough, professional investigation throughout. We said from the very beginning we would keep an open mind, we said we would search for the truth.
"Had we not gone elsewhere for assistance in terms of getting second, third and fourth opinions from pathologists and seeking a review at an early stage, we may be in a different position today.
"I believe it is through the JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] conducting such a thorough investigation that we are in a position to give you the facts as they are today.
"Ultimately it will be a decision for the coroner, but it is our belief that from all the work we have done, and from the opinion of three pathologists, that Bob Woolmer died of natural causes."
The announcement that Woolmer had been strangled sparked a number of conspiracy theories and overshadowed the tournament.
The entire Pakistan squad were questioned and there have been suggestions the country's cricket authorities would consider legal redress for the speculation and suspicion they were subjected to.
The police's handling of the case, particularly with regard to the number of theories that arose from it in the media, has attracted considerable criticism but Shields made a robust defence of his investigation.
He said: "We were given facts or an opinion at the beginning which we took at face value. We had to conduct an investigation there is no alternative.
"We are not in a position where we can second guess, publicly, a pathologist's opinion.
"Our job is to keep an open mind, conduct the investigation and see where the evidence takes us, and as it developed, that's exactly what we did."
Woolmer was diabetic and had been suffering from breathing difficulties at the time of his death but the initial pathologist's report concluded he had been strangled.
There were rumours that he might have been killed by someone linked to illegal match-fixing and betting or by an angry fan.
Mushtaq Ahmed, who was assistant coach to Woolmer during the tournament, is relieved that any lingering suspicion had now been lifted from the Pakistan team.
Mushtaq told Sky Sports News: "It was quite tiring and draining for the cricketers. We had lost a family member.
"Every week we were hearing different stories and people were saying things when there was no evidence.
"We have a lot of sympathies for Bob's family but at least we know the reality and that natural things happened to Bob.
"The pain is still there for losing Bob but at least we have got rid of these problems.
"I think the players got very sad and annoyed with what happened."
Mushtaq was not critical of the police's investigation and Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain during the tournament, does not believe taking legal action would serve much purpose.
"I don't feel court action would be of any use now," Inzamam told Geo TV.
"The players in general and I, as captain in particular, went through hell and those were the most terrible days of our lives.
"We must be ready to handle such things better in future by involving the government and the (Pakistan Cricket) Board from the initial stages."
However, Inzamam's view is in stark contrast to that of another former Pakistan skipper, Imran Khan, who is furious with the way the incident was handled."No-one should be able to go away scot-free after tarnishing and damaging the reputation of players and cricket so much," Khan said.
"Pakistan Cricket Board should sue everyone with responsibility because this was so damaging for the Pakistani team, for Pakistan cricket and to the country.
"They should have ruled out first whether this was natural causes.
"By what Pakistan cricket has been through - players being DNA-tested, finger-printed, insinuations of match-fixing, insinuations that the players might have killed their coach - all this was so damaging and this went on for a good two months.
"I think someone should be held responsible for it."
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