Monday, March 19, 2007

Bob Woolmer dies after World Cup defeat

KINGSTON, Jamaica
Celebrated cricket coach Bob Woolmer, who was handling the Pakistan team, died aged 58 on Sunday after being found unconscious in his hotel room the morning after his side's shock World Cup exit, the Pakistan team management announced.
"Robert Andrew Woolmer has passed away today and the entire Pakistan team and management are shocked and saddened by his passing," Pakistan team spokesman Pervez Mir said reading a statement.
Woolmer had seen his team crash out of the World Cup on Saturday after a shock Group D defeat by debutants Ireland at Sabina Park.
"We've been speaking to the doctors and they think it is either stress or a heart attack," Woolmer's son, Russell, told South African radio station 702 from Cape Town.
"There was a lot of stress in his job and it may have been stress that caused it.
"We're all very shocked and we don't know what to do. I've lost an amazing man to me."
It has yet to be confirmed if the India-born (in Kanpur) coach died in hospital or his hotel room, where Mir said staff discovered Woolmer on the floor at 1030 (1530 GMT).
Mir added Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was 'totally shocked and bewildered' with the news.
The former England batsman was made coach of Pakistan in June 2004. The job of coaching the national team of the cricket-crazy country is considered one of the most pressurised in the sport.
Woolmer, who had a distinguished career as a coach, appeared to take the defeat by Ireland in his stride following the match.
His contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board was due to finish on June 30 but it was widely expected he would part company with them after the World Cup which is scheduled to finish on April 28.
"I would like to sleep on my future as a coach," Woolmer said in Saturday's post-match news conference.
"It's what I do best, what I try to do best. Therefore I'm not going to throw away coaching just like that.
"However, internationally I will give it some thought. Travelling and being involved non-stop in hotels and so on takes its toll."
Mir confirmed that Woolmer had been 'perfectly fine after the game'.
"I had a very good chat with him and he was thinking about doing a number of things for Pakistan cricket. He had a lot of plans and wanted to go back and speak to the chairman."
Before turning to coaching, Woolmer played 19 Tests and six one-dayers for England during the 1970s.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sad that he should go like this. His playing record maynot be that impressive but he was recognized as a gifted coach.

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