Yesterday, I came across this story, about the late and much lamented former England international cricketer and cricket coach for Pakistan, Bob Woolmer:
Speculations are rife about foul play being involved in Pakistan coach Bob Woolmers death. Reports indicate that some current senior Pakistan team members might have fixed both matches, against West Indies and Ireland.
It is being debated in cricketing circles that he could have been killed to cover up match-fixing by the Pakistani team. The Pakistan team would not be allowed to fly back home till the investigations are over.
And, although I never blogged about this yesterday, I did talk about this yesterday, while surrounding by Iain Dale who at least pretended to be interested, and by three young Conservative ladies who almost went to sleep with excitement. This was on DoughtyStreetTV last night, by way of mere introduction to saying how very much I had enjoyed reading this short but sweet recollection by Peter Briffa, about how Woolmer was one of his teachers at prep school. We have not, I said, heard the last of this story. I also said there would be a tax cut, although I cannot recall if I actually said it might be income tax. So, I had a pretty good night of it.
Because, the Woolmer story has now erupted from the recesses of the internet and gone global:
NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, found dead a day after Pakistan’s shock defeat at the hands of Ireland, was murdered, police have confirmed. Although the Pakistan Cricket Board has been claiming that the autopsy conducted on Woolmer was inconclusive, sources, according to Times Now, have confirmed that investigators have indeed said the coach was murdered.
In fact, the Jamaican Police is said to be already ascertaining the whereabouts of some of the Pakistan players at the time the murder could have taken place. Sources confirmed to Times Now that further questioning of Pakistan players is on the cards as well.
The confirmation comes soon after allegations by former Pakistan pacer Sarfaraz [wrong spelling – should be “Sarfraz”] Nawaz that Woolmer was murdered by the betting syndicate. The outspoken Nawaz has said that almost everybody in control of the game is involved in betting and Woolmer was perhaps about to reveal all in a book.
Since they spell Sarfraz Nawaz wrongly, I cannot help wondering if they have any other of their facts wrong, such as little details like: “police have confirmed”.
For, on the other hand, there is this, from Woolmer’s wife:
“No I don’t see any conspiracy in his death. I am aware that his death is being viewed as a suspicious death. He had nothing to do with the match fixing controversy and any such person being involved is highly unlikely. We never got any threats as far as I know.”
I await developments with extreme interest. Not least because, whatever the truth of these now very noisy rumours, they do rather put this ruckus in a somewhat different light, do they not?
As for the mere cricket, try reading this.
UPDATE: The BBC now confirms that Woolmer’s death is being treated as “suspicious”.
Pakistan cricket is a horrendous cesspool of corruption, cheating, bribery, and lord knows what else. Still, when I heard that Woolmer had died, I was expecting an announcement a couple of hours later that he had died of a heart attack, and that would be the end of it. It appears now that he was also diabetic, and although one can certainly die fairly suddenly as a consequence of this, when it happens there is again little mysterious and I would have expected a quick annoucement. The fact that nobody is saying anything makes me think the worst at this point. There is clearly a thorough investigation going on that the police are not talking about until they know more. And if the description of the death scene in one of Brian’s links is accurate, that does not sound like a heart attack or a diabetic attack.
I have always been very suspicous about the death of former South African captain Hansie Cronje in a plane crash in 2003. When someone as mixed up with gangsters as Cronje dies mysteriously, one tends to think the worst. I wouldn’t have thought that Woolmer was mixed up with gangsters. However, nobody would have believed it of Cronje (who had a reputation for being honest, upstanding, and God-fearing) until he was caught red handed. Secondly, perhaps the situation is that to enter the Pakistan dressing room is to be mixed up with gangsters.
If this turns out to be murder, I think that Pakistan should be thrown out of international cricket. Given the nature of the ICC, I cannot believe it would actually happen, but it would be appropriate.
If it is proved that the man was wacked, the international fall-out from this would be extremely serious. The ball-tampering fracas in the summer soured relations with Pakistan; the death of its coach in suspicious circumstances, after Pakistan got beat in a match against relative cricket small guys Ireland, leaves one to imagine that some sort of gambling/match-fixing issue might be involved.
How sad. Peter Briffa’s tribute to his old teacher is a nice read.
There was, of course, no reduction in taxation today. Even Mr Brown’s people said that the budget involved no such thing.
Some tax rates were cut and other were increased.
Overall my guess (it can be no more than a guess till all the fine print is gone through) is that taxes will be higher than they were before.
Complexity has also increased (whilst it was said that it was being reduced).
Government spending has also been increased, although I was wrong in thinking that Mr Brown would boast a lot about nonexistant savings.
On Mr Woolmer:
I would be astonished if this were murder.
As for match fixing as concerns the game against Ireland.
Such a defeat is far too unusual. Match fixing only makes sense if one is going up against a team that there might be a realistic chance of being defeated by.
If one “throws a game” against a wildly lower ranked opponent it attracts too much notice.
I know far less about the cricket than you do. And I am certainly no fan of Pakistani society.
But, again, I would be astonished if they fixed this game.
I don’t think there’s been anything linking the match against Ireland to match-fixing yet. But the Sarfraz allegations are that Woolmer had a book about to be published that would have disclosed the sort of power bookmakers had over world cricket. If that’s true, it makes murder an all-too-probable conclusion to draw.
I’d agree that murder is unlikely, but with Pakistan one never knows. I hope it’s not true, and that the match fixing allegations are also false. I’d hate to see Ireland robbed of their glory by that, but the way Pakistan are thrashing Zimbabwe today certainly says something.
The spelling of Sarfraz may not be an indicator of the reliability of the Times of India. It is after all a transliteration from a different alphabet and may fall into the Obama/Ubama, sorry Osama/Usama,or Qaddaffi/Gadafi class. On the other hand the ToI is the MSM of a country which may not be entirely sympathetic to the Pakistan Cricket team.
As a pakistani , i am very humiliated and ashamed to be one. We cant clean ourselves , cricketwas our only saving grace and we couldnt even do this. We are like animals! This just shows our lack of education , they deserve to ALL be thrown out and whole new team should be established….
Maha Khan,
Unless you helped fix games or something similar, I don’t think you need to use the collective “we”. Unless you intend to defend these guys, feel free to disassociate yourself from them.
In any society, rejecting and shunning the bad guys is the first step toward shutting them down.
I do believe that Bob Woolmer was murdered and this is how the things happened to my belief.
As the Team lost to Ireland, Bob Woolmer was not kept in confidence by the team, whether the team fixed the match or not is not the question, but after losing the match Woolmer and the Team had the confrontation in which Bob would have accused the Captain and other guys of selling themselves out. After heated exchange they went to their rooms. The team players who got scared that Woolmer might blow up the whole thing, got in touch with the Person or persons who are the main guys involved in this. They reached Bob’s Room with the help of the Team members and DID THEIR JOB and left by the help of THE TEAM PLAYERS. The points to remember are :
1. Why there would be a cut on the nose of Mushtaq ahmed, a ball doesnt make a cut but a ball breaks the nose incase if u r hit on the nose by the ball?
2. The World cup would be quashed or stopped immediately if the players or the team is found guilty of killing BOB, which would result in 1000s of crores of monetary loss for the ICC.
3. Hence ICC has told the JAMAICAN POLICE to keep the real culprits under cover until the final of the world cup so that the loss is avoided. Inside they all know who has done this because: If every floor is covered by Security Camera like Mr SHIELDS said they can find the killer in almost 10 hours, but now he says it would take a long time, so you understand they are trying to save the GAME OF CRICKET which is turning ugly.
4. What Pakistan plays is certainly not cricket and the main reason of that is THE DICTATOR SHIP which is an unnatural way of living for a country and until they have a RULE OF PEOPLE they cannot come out of this corruption and extremism which is now ruling the minds of the cricketers as well.
VIKAS GILL
I do believe that Bob Woolmer was murdered and this is how the things happened to my belief.
As the Team lost to Ireland, Bob Woolmer was not kept in confidence by the team, whether the team fixed the match or not is not the question, but after losing the match Woolmer and the Team had the confrontation in which Bob would have accused the Captain and other guys of selling themselves out. After heated exchange they went to their rooms. The team players who got scared that Woolmer might blow up the whole thing, got in touch with the Person or persons who are the main guys involved in this. They reached Bob’s Room with the help of the Team members and DID THEIR JOB and left by the help of THE TEAM PLAYERS. The points to remember are :
1. Why there would be a cut on the nose of Mushtaq ahmed, a ball doesnt make a cut but a ball breaks the nose incase if u r hit on the nose by the ball?
2. The World cup would be quashed or stopped immediately if the players or the team is found guilty of killing BOB, which would result in 1000s of crores of monetary loss for the ICC.
3. Hence ICC has told the JAMAICAN POLICE to keep the real culprits under cover until the final of the world cup so that the loss is avoided. Inside they all know who has done this because: If every floor is covered by Security Camera like Mr SHIELDS said they can find the killer in almost 10 hours, but now he says it would take a long time, so you understand they are trying to save the GAME OF CRICKET which is turning ugly.
4. What Pakistan plays is certainly not cricket and the main reason of that is THE DICTATOR SHIP which is an unnatural way of living for a country and until they have a RULE OF PEOPLE they cannot come out of this corruption and extremism which is now ruling the minds of the cricketers as well.
VIKAS GILL
http://www.cricketworldcuplatest.com/news/champagne-bottles-mixed-with-poisonous-substance-p-112227.html
Sir Bob was a great man, i saw him last time packing his laptop and i felt very strange that i never seen this before, i felt something itchy inside, i never knew that what would happened that next morning i was listening his death news. well definitly he took the defeat on his heart, but i am also sure that he was murdered, the possible connection with mafia and some unknown inside guys.
May God rest his soul in Peace.
Bob we all love you.