Police announce Bob Woolmer was murdered
The worst possible news - Jamaican police have announced Bob Woolmer's death was caused by strangulation. The Pakistan team were questioned and fingerprinted although presumably not because any of the players are suspects but part of the investigation. Up until this morning, I had convinced myself that it had to be natural causes - no cricket fan could be this extreme.
However, a rumour has surfaced that match fixers from the criminal underworld fearing exposure may be responsible. This makes more sense than crazed, misguided fans, although no less obscene. It also means the timing had more to do with Woolmer working on two books than Pakistan's loss to Ireland (ironically neither book appears to expose illegal betting syndicates). Nevertheless, that Pakistan's cricket coach died from violent murder is unfathomable. Cricket has just lost any last shred of innocence.
| Posted by JC on Fri 23 Mar |  16 comments |
I personally did not really know much of Bob Woolmer before this incident. The name rang a bell and I could have probably guessed he was coaching a subcontinental team. It is incomprensible that a man who has dedicated his life to helping others improve their game should be murdered and left to die in a hotel room halfway around the world. Surely this is an action undertaken by someone who has no comprehension of what it means to constantly live out of a suitcase thousands of miles from home driven by the desire to better oneself and others.
Posted by TA on 2007-03-23 12:04:45
Posted by TA on 2007-03-23 12:04:45
Cricket lost its last vestige of innocence with Hansie Cronje.
Issues relating to Mark Waugh, Shane Warne were peripheral (and comparatively innocuous) to what we may now be witnessing. Could this spell the end of cricket, the reason for this blog and the passion of so many? The ICC is culpable through acts of omission, taking only cosmetic action against a severe problem known to have existed for years.
Any sport is only as good as its administration. Maybe its time for the administrators to be investigated.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-23 12:51:56
Issues relating to Mark Waugh, Shane Warne were peripheral (and comparatively innocuous) to what we may now be witnessing. Could this spell the end of cricket, the reason for this blog and the passion of so many? The ICC is culpable through acts of omission, taking only cosmetic action against a severe problem known to have existed for years.
Any sport is only as good as its administration. Maybe its time for the administrators to be investigated.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-23 12:51:56
Given two truly awful choices, I'm hoping that the murderer was a deranged fan, rather than a hitman working at the behest of a match-fixing mafia. One man has already been killed. If his death is shown to be the result of organized crime, that would be the death of cricket as we know it.
Posted by Trapper John on 2007-03-23 13:21:35
Posted by Trapper John on 2007-03-23 13:21:35
I just hope they can resolve this, to everyone's satisfaction. The worse situation would be that his murder is unsolved. It would leave an awful taint over the world Cup and the game.
However I think there are bigger problems with Cricket at the moment. Alot of it is to do with the unequal power of cricket with India and Pakistan and the feeble ICC and their focus on money.
This article describes these problems far better than I could.
------------------------------
As an Indian, I would like India to win the World Cup. But it might not be such a bad thing for cricket if they were to be knocked out in the first round. Cricket needs a reality check. It has an unhealthy, and unsustainable, business model that relies primarily on an increasingly delusional and one-dimensional fan-base. The bubble has to burst for a semblance of sanity to be restored. We must learn to once again enjoy cricket as a game.
----------------------------------
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/286676.html
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-23 14:07:08
However I think there are bigger problems with Cricket at the moment. Alot of it is to do with the unequal power of cricket with India and Pakistan and the feeble ICC and their focus on money.
This article describes these problems far better than I could.
------------------------------
As an Indian, I would like India to win the World Cup. But it might not be such a bad thing for cricket if they were to be knocked out in the first round. Cricket needs a reality check. It has an unhealthy, and unsustainable, business model that relies primarily on an increasingly delusional and one-dimensional fan-base. The bubble has to burst for a semblance of sanity to be restored. We must learn to once again enjoy cricket as a game.
----------------------------------
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/286676.html
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-23 14:07:08
Well fellas, as is my wont to provoke a bit of lively discussion - and I don't want to be too controversial (it's a blog Mark, not a parliamentary document), here's my twist on the sitch (Mark, turn off your monitor now):
Woolmer: BIG (no make that HUGE)mates with Cronje and knew what he was doing when accepting the PAK job. Probably part of or got embroiled in the match fixing caper. Depressed or lost bottle with it all and planned to lift lid...GARN
Cronje: As above basically...taken out.
PAK Team: at least 50% involved with match-fixing sitch.
PAK cricketing public: completely over the top as they have no other sport to excel at (hockey maybe or is that India?, whatever...). People from Pakistan are as good as anyone but when it comes to the nutters amongst the cricket fraterity forget it. Mates, I know what it means to lose and it hurts BAD, but these guys...OTT.
Caribbean Police force: nice post about the apparent police warning mate; definitely in on it and as bent as a $7 dollar note that mob.
World Cup 07: Failing to grab my attention so far (even before the murders (Irish 2IC coach died of 'heart attack').
P.S. I'm a fair dinkum Aussie cricket fan who will bag the opposing teams and coaches regardless of colour, status, ICC ranking, history, perception or otherwise... I will always be mouthing off about something, that's why JC has this blog... Mark, switch on your monitor, it's all clear...
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-23 17:15:24
Woolmer: BIG (no make that HUGE)mates with Cronje and knew what he was doing when accepting the PAK job. Probably part of or got embroiled in the match fixing caper. Depressed or lost bottle with it all and planned to lift lid...GARN
Cronje: As above basically...taken out.
PAK Team: at least 50% involved with match-fixing sitch.
PAK cricketing public: completely over the top as they have no other sport to excel at (hockey maybe or is that India?, whatever...). People from Pakistan are as good as anyone but when it comes to the nutters amongst the cricket fraterity forget it. Mates, I know what it means to lose and it hurts BAD, but these guys...OTT.
Caribbean Police force: nice post about the apparent police warning mate; definitely in on it and as bent as a $7 dollar note that mob.
World Cup 07: Failing to grab my attention so far (even before the murders (Irish 2IC coach died of 'heart attack').
P.S. I'm a fair dinkum Aussie cricket fan who will bag the opposing teams and coaches regardless of colour, status, ICC ranking, history, perception or otherwise... I will always be mouthing off about something, that's why JC has this blog... Mark, switch on your monitor, it's all clear...
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-23 17:15:24
just had a look at baggygreen - pretty obvious that Inzy is a suspect.
Posted by vitualgaz on 2007-03-23 20:56:01
Posted by vitualgaz on 2007-03-23 20:56:01
It's all pretty scary. I wonder how the players must be feeling with a murderer on the loose? Would put me off my game! The whole World Cup just seems meaningless somehow.
A strange thing happened about the match fixing rumours. Last night there was story on cricinfo about Woolmer emailing a Pakistani journalist and asking for his help writing a book about match fixing - he said the story needed to be told and told properly. Now the story has disappeared from the website without a trace! Are the police trying to protect that pakistani journalist from the murderer by pulling the story? That's what I meant by the police trying to warn someone.
Posted by MT on 2007-03-23 23:11:18
A strange thing happened about the match fixing rumours. Last night there was story on cricinfo about Woolmer emailing a Pakistani journalist and asking for his help writing a book about match fixing - he said the story needed to be told and told properly. Now the story has disappeared from the website without a trace! Are the police trying to protect that pakistani journalist from the murderer by pulling the story? That's what I meant by the police trying to warn someone.
Posted by MT on 2007-03-23 23:11:18
Gaz, I don't see anything about Inzy - can you post a URL? I'm highly skeptical that Inzy or any player would be involved.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-24 09:09:27
Posted by JC on 2007-03-24 09:09:27
Well, they mentioned that the strangler would have had to be a big man the size of Woolmer or larger and the team were being fingerprinted etc. Then I got to thinking that he's been crying a lot on the TV (Corby-style) and there you have it! Case closed.
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-24 12:55:18
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-24 12:55:18
Gee Gaz
Would hate to appear before you if you were a Supreme Court judge mate. Guilty until proven innocent, right??
Although you're a bit of s..t-stirrer, SOME of your comments yesterday (17.15) might be a bit closer to the truth than even you think.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-24 13:28:54
Would hate to appear before you if you were a Supreme Court judge mate. Guilty until proven innocent, right??
Although you're a bit of s..t-stirrer, SOME of your comments yesterday (17.15) might be a bit closer to the truth than even you think.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-24 13:28:54
Big guy (or as I read it, possibly more than 1 man) = Inzy guilty? Bit of a stretch.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-24 15:27:08
Posted by JC on 2007-03-24 15:27:08
mark my words...
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-24 18:51:11
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-24 18:51:11
Great blog JC. The game needs more unbiased, mature fans like you. The Woolmer case is the most tragic thing to have happened to the game and I am amazed that they are still continuing the tournament. If it was up to me, I would stop all international cricket until the truth about Woolmer and match fixing came out. I mean, a man got killed for God's sakes.
Posted by jkal on 2007-03-25 05:41:26
Posted by jkal on 2007-03-25 05:41:26
Thanks for the kind comments jkal although to be honest, I wouldn't describe me as mature or unbiased. I am definitely biased from an Australian point of view - wanting my team to win but also harder on my own team than other countries (as is typical for any sports fan - I'm probably just more moderate than other more 'passionate' fans). As for stopping the tournament, I actually had a discussion (not quite an argument) with my wife on this very topic. She agrees with you but I don't think we should stop the tournament and certainly not stop all international cricket - we can't hold the sport up to ransom because of a small group of seedy thugs. But the ICC does need to take stronger action to stamp out match fixing.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-25 07:30:35
Posted by JC on 2007-03-25 07:30:35
Interesting article about Bob Woolmer by Vic Marks:
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricketworldcup2007/story/0,,2042323,00.html
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-25 12:45:25
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricketworldcup2007/story/0,,2042323,00.html
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-25 12:45:25
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