Gill Woolmer

CAPE TOWN: The wife of the former Pakistan cricket coach, Bob Woolmer, expressed relief on Tuesday after the Jamaican police finally declared that he was not murdered but died of natural causes.

"We are relieved that it has been officially announced that Bob died of natural causes," Gill Woolmer told AFP from her home in Pinelands, Cape Town. "It is now over."

She would not say whether the police finding surprised her. "I didn't expect anything. It was an official police investigation."

Woolmer, 58, died soon after being found unconscious in his hotel room in Jamaica on March 18, a day after Pakistan was knocked out of the cricket World Cup by minnows Ireland.

An initial autopsy report proved inconclusive, but a pathology report later indicated that the former South African coach died of asphyxia as a result of "manual strangulation," which led the police to treat the death as murder.

The claims rocked the world of cricket amid speculation about links to an alleged gambling mafia, claims which Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) commissioner Lucius Thomas said were without foundation.

"Professional probe"

"The Jamaica Constabulary Force adopted a thoroughly professional investigation where nothing was left to chance. Every effort has been made by the Force to seek the truth surrounding Bob Woolmer's death," he said earlier on Tuesday.

"My hope is that despite the trauma of the last two-and-a-half months, Mrs. Woolmer and her sons will be confident that the JCF has done all it can to establish the truth surrounding the death of her husband."

Woolmer, a former England Test batsman who made his home in South Africa, was cremated at a private family ceremony in Cape Town on May 4.

PCB satisfied

In Islamabad, Pakistan cricket chiefs expressed "great satisfaction" after the announcement by the Jamaican police.

"This verdict will be a relief for the wife and family of late Bob Woolmer, Pakistan cricket team and the people of Pakistan, who all have been feeling greatly distressed by the rumours that have been clouding the cricket world since this sad incident," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

"Irresponsible"

The PCB complained that "irresponsible and hypothetical statements were made" in Jamaica and beyond that were "very traumatic not only to Woolmer's family but also to the entire Pakistan nation." Woolmer's case also dealt a "big shock" to the team, who "looked up to him as a father figure."

However, it didn't say whether it would sue the Jamaican authorities for damages. "We once again convey our condolences to Bob's wife and family and are relieved that this chapter is now closed," it said.

Ex-players were less diplomatic.

All-rounder Intikhab Alam accused the Jamaican police of "mishandling" the case. "They should not only apologise to the PCB but to the whole nation," he told The Associated Press. "They took DNA tests of our players, fingerprinted them and whatnot. Now they should apologise."

A conspiracy: Miandad

Batting legend Javed Miandad said he was surprised the Jamaican police hadn't established the truth sooner. "With all sorts of modern technologies nowadays available, it's easier to identify the murderer than to murder someone," he told AP.

"From the very first day, I was convinced that Woolmer had died naturally, and I see it as a conspiracy against Pakistan," Miandad said.

Imran Khan, a former captain and now a leading Pakistani politician, said he was "shocked" that the Jamaican police had issued no apology.

The Pakistani players suffered "insinuations that they had thrown the match and because the coach was going to blow the whistle, they had strangled him," he said on the CNN news channel.

"Be answerable"

"For one month, they went through a living hell. The Pakistan team came back and literally hid from the public. The players went into depression ... I'm afraid someone has to be answerable and someone has to be responsible for this," Mr. Khan said. The PCB "must ask for damages and certainly a big apology," he said. — Agencies

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