Former bowler claims Woolmer was murdered

Police are today trying to determine what killed Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, calling his death “suspicious” after he was found in his hotel room a day after his team was upset by Ireland during the Cricket World Cup.

A 10-man forensics team was working in the 12th-floor room where the former England Test batsman died, though authorities have said nothing points to murder.

A former Pakistani player speculated that the coach was killed by gambling interests.

Fast-bowler Sarfraz Nawaz said he suspects Woolmer was murdered.

“Woolmer’s death has some connection with the match-fixing mafia,” Nawaz told the Associated Press.

“I’ve been saying this for the last four days that Woolmer’s death is not natural, but it’s a murder.”

Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields said today: “There is no evidence it’s a homicide but we’re waiting for further information from the pathologist before we make any more statements,”

Woolmer, who was 58 and lived in South Africa, was found unconscious in his vomit-splattered Kingston hotel room on Sunday morning and was pronounced dead after being transferred to a hospital.

The previous day, Pakistan was stunned by Ireland in a St Patrick’s Day victory that assured Pakistan’s early exit from the World Cup, which is being played in the Caribbean.

At a late-night news conference yesterday at the Pakistani team’s hotel in Kingston, Shields said police have “sufficient information to continue a full investigation into the death of Mr. Woolmer, which we are now treating as suspicious.”

Asked if police were pursuing a murder investigation, Shields said: “No, we are not saying that.”

Shields, a veteran of England’s Scotland Yard, was hired in 2005 to become Jamaica’s second-ranking policeman and help cope with the soaring murder rate. But instead of investigating the gangster-driven violence that has caused so many deaths on this Caribbean island nation, he is now focusing on the death of a prominent global sports figure.

Gambling has tainted cricket in the past.

South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life from the sport after he acknowledged taking money to fix matches involving South Africa. Team-mates said Cronje in 1996 conveyed an offer of up to £175,000 to lose a one-day game against India. Cronje died in a plane crash in 2002.

Pakistan play Zimbabwe tomorrow in thier last World Cup match. After two losses, Pakistan have no chance of reaching the second round.