Bye, Bye Bob

Woolmer was rushed to the Kingston University Hospital after being foundunconscious in his hotel room in the morning, and was declared dead by thedoctors at 12.14 pm local time (22.44 IST) yesterday.

The former England Test batsman was 58 and survived by wife Gill and twosons.

The Jamaican Constabulary Force said in a release that a team of police andmedical personnel was conducting preliminary investigations at both the hoteland the hospital.

"The cause of death has not yet been established but will be determinedafter a post-mortem examination is conducted. This post-mortem will be done atthe earliest possible time," the JCF statement read.

But Nasim Ashraf, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, said that Woolmer had toldhim he was not only a diabetic but also suffered from a rare condition where hehad to wear a mask during sleep as he was prone to stop breathing during hisslumber.

Coming as it did close on the heels of Pakistan's early elimination from thetournament following the stunning loss to Ireland only on Saturday, the stressof being an international coach could have been a factor too.

Incidentally, Woolmer had mentioned it in the post-match press conference,the last time he was seen in public. "It takes a toll on you. You are awayfrom the family, always travelling and living out of the suitcase," he hadsaid.

Ashraf expressed condolences and support of the Pakistan team and the Boardto Woolmer's wife in Cape Town.

"We are there for Woolmer's wife and his family. This sudden andshocking news has still not sunk in properly," he said.

Tributes and condolences poured in from around the globe, including PakistanPresident Pervez Musharraf, who is also the patron of PCB, and Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz.

"The President and the Prime Minister have expressed their heartfeltcondolences over the tragic death of Woolmer," a statement on Pakistan'snational news agency AAP said.

"In their message to his family, they said Woolmer's services to thegame will be long remembered, and that he had promoted the game in Pakistan withdedication and single mindedness."

Viewed as a villain till Sunday, Woolmer seemed to have won over his criticsposthumously.

"No matter what has happened in the past, I am deeply saddened to hearhis death. He was a decent human being," said former captain Javed Miandad,one of Woolmer's biggest critics during his tenure as coach from June 2004 todate.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who had a thorny relationship with the coach asrecently as the South African tour earlier this year, said the two of themshared many memorable moments.

"It is unbelievable he is no more in this world. I shared a lot of goodmoments with him and he called me his son. Before going (to the Caribbean) wehad spoken to each other about my future," Akhtar said.

Shoaib admitted that recent he had had a "small argument" with thecoach but denied that Woolmer had ever made any racial remarks against him.

Woolmer took over as Pakistan's coach from Miandad after the team sufferedits first ever home loss to arch-rivals India in early 2004.

He had earlier coached South Africa for five years from 1994 to '99 and ledthem to the World Cup semi-final in England before quitting to become the ICChigh performance manager.

Woolmer, who was born in the Uttar Pradesh city of Kanpur in 1948 and couldspeak a smattering of Hindi, made his Test debut for England against Australiain 1975 and went on to score 1059 runs at 33.09 in 19 Tests.

He also played for English county club Kent and South Africa's Natal andWestern Province in first-class cricket.

After retiring as a player, he was director of coaching with Warwickshirecounty club who won the NatWest Trophy in 1993 and three more titles thefollowing year under him.

The International Cricket Council paid rich tributes to Woolmer, saying thegame was deeply indebted to the late player-turned-coach.

"Bob was an outstanding human being who loved the game and always triedto instill that love and passion for our great sport into anyone he came intocontact with. He will be sorely missed," ICC president Percy Sonn said.

"It is difficult to think of a man who was more committed to thebetterment of the sport than him.

"He combined a detailed technical knowledge of the game with afree-thinking approach and he was always one prepared to push the envelope andexperiment.

"We owe Bob a huge debt of thanks as he played a pivotal role in thedevelopment of cricket below ICC full member level," Sonn said in astatement.

"The continuing growth and improving standards of play among the topassociates that we have seen over the past few years are a fitting tribute toBob's work for the ICC.

"On behalf of the ICC, I express my shock and sadness at this terriblenews. My thoughts are with Bob's wife and family at this time," he said.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said Pakistan's stunning loss to Irelandwas actually a triumph of Woolmer's spirit and efforts.

"It was a great triumph because he was the man who started the ICCdevelopment programme and one of the countries he coached was Ireland,"said Speed.

"Many of us had many heated discussions with Bob because he had strongviews about the way the game should be developed and he played a very importantrole with us in those years.

"He then asked to be released from his contract with the ICC because hewanted one last go at coaching at the highest level and he'd been offered thePakistan job.

"He undertook that with great enthusiasm and coached Pakistan for nearlythree years."

The Indian cricket team expressed shock and grief at the sudden death ofWoolmer.

"Captain Rahul Dravid, coach Greg Chappell and team members of theIndian team are deeply shocked and saddened by untimely death of Bob Woolmer whohad a distinguished career in cricket as a player and coach for England, SouthAfrica and Pakistan," the team said in statement.

"He has left an indelible mark on the game that he loved and lived for.We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Bob's family, friends and all members of thePakistan team at this sad time."

Agencies