Bob Woolmer book on Cricket Corruption

Murdered Woolmer was writing book on cricket corruption

Copy of Original Story in The Daily Mail

Last updated at 11:18am on 23rd March 2007

• Not a sound as Woolmer was murdered
• Mystery of coach's corruption book
• He 'probably knew his killer'

Cricket coach Bob Woolmer was overpowered and strangled in his hotel room in total silence, Jamaican police said today.

There were no obvious signs of a struggle and detectives believe he knew his killer or killers and may have let them in.

A Pakistan player in the adjoining room spoke for the first time today to say he had not heard a sound on the night of the murder.

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Family man: Bob Woolmer with his wife Gill and their two sons in 1994

It was also revealed that 58-year-old Woolmer had been worried that key parts of a book he was writing on corruption in cricket had gone missing. His death has led to speculation over match fixing at the World Cup by betting syndicates.

The former Kent and England all-rounder was found unconscious by staff at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Sunday morning, the day after his Pakistan team's shock defeat to Ireland. One theory is that Woolmer was killed because he had uncovered a betting scandal involving Pakistan being paid to throw the game.

He was found in the bathroom of his room on the 12th floor, an executive area of the hotel where there would have been tight security and where access would have been restricted.

Video...Jamaican police make the grim announcement that Bob Woolmer was murdered
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Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria said he "did not hear any noises coming from Woolmer's room" despite being next door at the time the killing is believed to have taken place.

Jamaican police said today they are now treating the death "as a case of murder" after a pathologist revealed he had been strangled. A bone in his neck was broken and traces of poison are said to have been found.

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Mark Shields, Jamaica's chief of police, makes the grim announcement that Bob Woolmer was murdered

A Pakistani television station announced that a suspect had been arrested. Reports said the man was not a Jamaican national and had been a regular visitor to Mr Woolmer. Hours later the arrest claim was denied by Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields.

The former Scotland Yard officer said that the fact that there was no sign of a forced entry into Woolmer's room pointed to the possibility that he knew his killer or killers. None of his possessions were taken.

Mr Shields told Radio 5 Live: "It looks as if it may be somebody somehow linked to him, because clearly he let somebody into his hotel room and it may be that he knew who that person was." Police are going through video recordings from the hotel CCTV.

Bob Woolmer's widow Gill

Mr Shields also raised the possibility that there were two killers, saying: "It would take some force because Bob was a large man, and it would take quite a deal of force to subdue him. It could be one or more persons."

There were signs of blood, vomit and faeces in the room which was yesterday still sealed off and being searched. Woolmer's body was not discovered until the following morning.

Mr Shields said: "Somebody or some people must have vital information that they should tell us."

Pakistan Captain Inzamam (right) at a memorial service for Bob Woolmer

Jamaican commissioner of police Lucius Thomas said: "It is our belief that those associated with or having access to Mr Woolmer may have vital information that would assist this inquiry. We appeal to these individuals to come forward now to assist us with our investigation." Pakistan team spokesman Parvez Mir said he was deeply shocked by the revelation that Woolmer had been murdered but played down any suggestion that his death was linked to allegations of match fixing at the World Cup.

Mr Mir said that Woolmer had told him that proofs of a book he had been writing on corruption in cricket had been going missing.

He said: "Bob told me the proofs of the book had been misplaced and he was very disturbed. I don't know what was in the book, but that was his only copy at the time."

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed said Woolmer's death had been a "huge shock" to the cricketing community, but said the World Cup tournament would continue.

Former Met chief Sir Paul Condon is on standby to got to Jamaica, a spokesman for the International Cricket Council confirmed today.

The ICC set up an anti-corruption and security unit under Lord Condon in 2000. In May 2001, Lord Condon published a damning 75-page interim report into cricket corruption.

The shock news emerged hours after Mr Woolmer's wife Gill admitted she could not rule out murder.

Speaking from the family home in South Africa, she said: "Some of the cricketing fraternity, fans, are extremely volatile and passionate about the game and what happens in the game, and also a lot of it in Asia, so I suppose there is always the possibility that it could be that.

"It fills me with horror, I just can't believe that people could behave like that or that anyone would want to harm someone who has done such a great service to international cricket."

An international news agency issued photographs of his body in a Kingston morgue. A cut above the bridge of his nose was clearly visible, as was a scrape across his right cheek.

Gill with Bob in his playing days in England

Mrs Woolmer categorically ruled out suicide, although she admitted her husband was "very down" after the shock defeat to Ireland.

She said: "He was very depressed and he sent me an email to that effect but then he always got depressed and down when the boys didn't do as he expected and hoped they could, and he knew what sort of state they were in.

"He knew they could perform and just got very down about it but that was normal....he was a very competitive person. But there is no way that suicide was involved, he would never, ever.

'He didn't take drugs unless it was a painkiller for his sore knees and ankles."

Asked about her husband's health, she said: "He was very fit, he did training a lot, he had been trying to lose weight to control his diabetes and had been swimming at the hotel, walking and playing golf."

The first suggestions that Mr Woolmer was murdered came from former Pakistan test bowler Sarfraz Nawaz, who has frequently spoken out against match-fixing that has tainted cricket. "I feel that he was bumped off. It was the betting mafia," he said.

The former player claimed bookmakers were manipulating results and that five members of the Pakistan World Cup party were involved.

Reports from Pakistan say five bookmakers flew to Jamaica before the World Cup in a bid to fix Pakistan's first game against the West Indies, which they also lost.

Mr Woolmer, who has two grown-up sons, was South African coach in 2000 when their captain Hansie Cronje rocked the world of cricket by admitted accepting bribes.

A year earlier, three Pakistani players were banned over allegations of fixing matches.

Cronje was killed in June 2002 in a plane crash. Some observers believe he was murdered to stop him giving more details of the match-fixing

Comments

[Sand Racer]

Decent report there.

A terrible thing has happened here obviously. The thought that it may all be related to betting and match fixing is disturbing.

I found it odd Pakistan lost the match in the first place, but that's sport. If it turns out to be a fixed match, which I doubt actually, that would implicate the whole team until such a time as the exact players involved are unearthed.

It is highly unlikely Bob would have been involved. Possibly he was murdered because he fronted whoever he may have thought were possibly involved.

The thought Bob was possibly murdered by a player(s) is just totally amazing, but the thought ran through my mind nevertheless, when I heard the Jamaican police press conference.

[Ray]

Hi Sand Racer,

I think it is more likely that a group of very big gamblers/match fixers are involved and that would implicate the players. I didn't see all the match but I have read reports where it seemed that the Pakistan team did not want to win the match.

I don't think anybody would think that Bob was invloved in anything untoward.

Ray

[The Gambler.]

I traded a bit on the game winning the princely sum of 15 pounds. The betting patterns during the game were not suspicious at all. One day cricket is notoriously unpredictable. Conditions change durig the day. Even winning or losing the toss can decide a game. Also when teams lose a wicket, it can spark a collapse. We only have to look at England to see this phenomena. I don't think we should assume the match was fixed. From what I saw it just looked like an unusual result, but not neccesarily fixed.

[Ray]

Hi John,

I am with you in that we should not assume anything here about why this has happened. I just hope that the police can get to the real motive and find out who is responsible for this terrible crime.

Ray

[The Gambler.]

Agreed Ray. I have my own views. I am not surprised the way things are developing.