KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 13 (Reuters) - The Jamaica government will set up a commission to review the investigations into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, the island's minister of national security said on Wednesday.
"Given the high degree of public interest which the case has generated at home and abroad... I have considered it desirable to commission a review," Minister Peter Phillips announced in parliament.
"An assessment must also be carried out concerning the techniques and the standards of professionalism employed by the police investigators as well as the medical and other professional personnel.
"The exercise is to be completed within six weeks and I expect a report no later than July 31."
On Tuesday, police confirmed that Woolmer had died of natural causes and was not murdered as earlier announced, ending an embarrassing, three-month investigation that gripped the cricket world.
Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room in Kingston on March 18 after his highly rated team lost to little fancied Ireland in the Cricket World Cup, and police launched a murder investigation after a pathologist said he had been strangled.
The murder suspicions triggered speculation he had been killed by an irate fan or an illegal gambling syndicate.
However, police reversed course after reports from three independent pathologists and a toxicology test said the former England international cricketer died of natural causes and had no poisons in his body.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Woolmer died of heart failure
Bob Woolmer, almost certainly died of heart failure, Jamaica police said on Wednesday, a day after ending a high-profile investigation into his murder.
Police based their conclusion on the cause of Woolmer's death on the evidence of three independent pathologists from Britain, Canada and South Africa who reviewed an initial postmortem and said Woolmer was not, in fact, murdered.
They also took into account a toxicologist's report which said there were no poisons in Woolmer's body.
"Determining the cause of death is the remit of the coroner but we are 99 percent sure that Woolmer died of heart failure," said police spokesman Karl Angell.
He did not elaborate, but the Jamaica Observer newspaper quoted Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas as saying Woolmer had "an enlarged heart which was brought on by a number of illnesses."
Previous media reports have referred to his ill health and speculated that he suffered from diabetes.
Woolmer's death in Kingston on March 18, one day after Pakistan lost to little-fancied Ireland in the cricket World Cup, cast a shadow over the sport that deepened when police announced it was launching a murder investigation.
That probe was based upon a postmortem report by pathologist Ere Seshaiah, which said the 58-year-old former England international cricketer had been strangled.
In an embarrassing U-turn, police reversed course on Tuesday and said Woolmer died of natural causes in direct contradiction to Seshaiah's findings.
Seshaiah insisted he was right despite the verdict reached by police in the Caribbean island nation. "I am sticking to my findings. He was murdered," he told the Observer in an interview published on Wednesday.
The Gleaner newspaper published excerpts from the three reports by the independent coroners used by police.
"After viewing the photographs and video and discussing the circumstances, I gave my opinion that Mr. Woolmer's death was not due to throttling, but in fact natural causes, probably cardiac related," Lorna Martin, head of forensic medicine and toxicology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, was quoted as saying.
Kingston's coroner has declined to say when an announcement on the official cause of death will be made.
Police based their conclusion on the cause of Woolmer's death on the evidence of three independent pathologists from Britain, Canada and South Africa who reviewed an initial postmortem and said Woolmer was not, in fact, murdered.
They also took into account a toxicologist's report which said there were no poisons in Woolmer's body.
"Determining the cause of death is the remit of the coroner but we are 99 percent sure that Woolmer died of heart failure," said police spokesman Karl Angell.
He did not elaborate, but the Jamaica Observer newspaper quoted Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas as saying Woolmer had "an enlarged heart which was brought on by a number of illnesses."
Previous media reports have referred to his ill health and speculated that he suffered from diabetes.
Woolmer's death in Kingston on March 18, one day after Pakistan lost to little-fancied Ireland in the cricket World Cup, cast a shadow over the sport that deepened when police announced it was launching a murder investigation.
That probe was based upon a postmortem report by pathologist Ere Seshaiah, which said the 58-year-old former England international cricketer had been strangled.
In an embarrassing U-turn, police reversed course on Tuesday and said Woolmer died of natural causes in direct contradiction to Seshaiah's findings.
Seshaiah insisted he was right despite the verdict reached by police in the Caribbean island nation. "I am sticking to my findings. He was murdered," he told the Observer in an interview published on Wednesday.
The Gleaner newspaper published excerpts from the three reports by the independent coroners used by police.
"After viewing the photographs and video and discussing the circumstances, I gave my opinion that Mr. Woolmer's death was not due to throttling, but in fact natural causes, probably cardiac related," Lorna Martin, head of forensic medicine and toxicology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, was quoted as saying.
Kingston's coroner has declined to say when an announcement on the official cause of death will be made.
Woolmer was not murdered
Pakistan's World Cup cricket coach Bob Woolmer died of natural causes and was not murdered as earlier announced, Jamaican police said on Tuesday, ending an embarrassing, three-month investigation that gripped the cricket world. The murder suspicions triggered speculation he had been killed by an irate fan or an illegal gambling syndicate. But police reversed course after reports from three independent pathologists and a toxicology test said the 58-year-old former England international cricketer died of natural causes and had no poisons in his body, said Jamaican Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas.
"The JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) has accepted these findings and has closed its investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer," Thomas said, reading from a prepared statement.
The statement did not immediately clarify why Woolmer died but media reports have referred to his ill health and speculated that he suffered from diabetes. The Kingston coroner's office said it could give no details on when it would release a statement on the cause of death.
In South Africa, Woolmer's widow thanked the Jamaican police for the way they conducted the investigation in the face of intense media scrutiny.
"My sons and I are relieved to be officially informed that Bob died of natural causes and that no foul play is suspected in his death," Gill Woolmer said in a statement.
WHO TO BLAME?
Thomas said the Jamaican police had always kept an open mind on the murder suspicions and had carried out an extensive investigation including taking 350 statements from people and seeking help from British and Pakistani police. He appeared to put the blame for the original declaration that Woolmer had been murdered squarely on pathologist Ere Seshaiah, who said he found signs that the cricket coach had been asphyxiated through manual strangulation.
"The investigation team's strategy was based on the assumption that if Bob Woolmer was murdered, it was critical to identify, locate and interview as many people who were closest to him at the time of his death," Thomas said.
But the sudden about-face was likely to embarrass the police force in the Caribbean country, and in particular the lead investigator, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields, a former Scotland Yard officer who has come under criticism from colleagues in recent weeks. Immediately after the initial autopsy findings that Woolmer died of strangulation, Shields said repeatedly that he was conducting a murder investigation and searching for Woolmer's killer or killers. Shields said on Tuesday he accepted the conclusion that Woolmer had died of natural causes.
'TRAUMATIC PERIOD'
Pakistan's cricket board said it was relieved that a period of stress and tension for Pakistani cricket was finally over.
"It has been a traumatic period for all of us because of the unnecessary delay in resolving the cause of Woolmer's death. But finally we are relieved it is all over now," a spokesman for the board said.
He declined to comment on reports the board was contemplating suing for damages from the Jamaican police.
International cricket players reacted with a mix of criticism and relief.
"The way the whole affair was handled was so messy. To give the impression that someone has been murdered is a serious matter," said South African all rounder Shaun Pollock. "It still doesn't take away from the fact that Bob died, but at least this gives his family some closure."
The family of Bob Woolmer expressed relief on Tuesday at the Jamaican police announcement.
"We hope that this matter will now be closed and that our family will be left to grieve in peace," his widow Gill Woolmer said in a media statement in South Africa, where the highly respected coach was cremated in May.
She also thanked Jamaican police for treating the family well over the course of the three-month investigation.
"We realise that this investigation has been problematical to conduct given the circumstances and the media spotlight that has been focused upon it," she said.
But Pakistan cricketers had few kind words for the police.
"It has been a traumatic period for all of us because of the unnecessary delay in resolving the cause of Woolmer's death. But finally we are relieved it is all over now," Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Ehsan Malik said.
The announcement in late March by Jamaican police that Woolmer had been strangulated triggered speculation that irate fans or an illegal gambling syndicate lay behind the murder.
"There is no doubt Pakistan cricket came under great pressure because of the speculations and suspicions surrounding this high-profile case," Malik said.
Malik declined to comment on reports the PCB was contemplating filing for damages against the Jamaican police.
In South Africa, whose national team Woolmer coached from 1994 to 1999, the reaction combined relief for his family with anger at the tortuous investigation.
"Bob left a tremendous legacy in cricket, and to have to go through all this fumbling and bumbling without knowing what happened has been tough," Gary Kirsten, a former South Africa opener, told Reuters.
Current South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said the finding that Woolmer died of natural causes would help clear the air in the broader cricket world.
"It's a selfish point of view and I know this news doesn't make his family feel any better, but cricket doesn't need more scandals," he said.
Jamaicans reacted with embarrassment to news that Bob Woolmer was not, in fact, murdered, after a saga that started as a tragedy, became a mystery, and now turned into a farce. Attention focused on how police appeared to botch their highest-profile investigation in years by announcing on March 22 that they were treating Woolmer's death as murder, and then declaring nearly three months later he died of natural causes. Police defended their performance but commentators said Jamaica's image had taken a hit and the way the probe was conducted could even affect voter perceptions of the ruling People's National Party ahead of elections due by October.
"First it was shock," said political commentator Kevin O'Brien Chang on reaction to news of Woolmer's death on March 18. "Then horror at the fact that he was murdered. Now we feel ashamed at the gross incompetence on the part of our guys."
It has been "a real comedy of errors. You couldn't get any more errors than that. It's a bunch of clowns," he said of detectives involved in the case.
The news cast a shadow over the island of 2.7 million, which deepened when police announced he had been murdered.
POLITICAL IMPACT
The potential impact of the Woolmer affair may go beyond Jamaica's international reputation. When Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller took power in February 2006 she rode a wave of popularity as the country's first female leader but a series of scandals have damaged the fortunes of a party in power since 1989. Cricket fever and a successful World Cup could have boosted the party's fortunes despite criticism over the amount of money spent on rehabilitating Sabina Park stadium in Kingston and building a second stadium near Montego Bay. In one speech, Simpson-Miller, often called "Sista P" by her supporters, sought to capitalize on the attention given to the national sport.
"I have the strength to swing the bat," Simpson-Miller, was quoted as telling a campaign rally.
In the event, the failure of the West Indies to progress beyond the second round of the competition and Woolmer's death in a Kingston hotel dampened euphoria. The opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said it would not seek to turn the investigation into a political issue, arguing voters were more concerned about government failure to invest in health, education, water and rural infrastructure.
"We would never expect it (Tuesday's announcement) to have political repercussions," said James Robertson, a deputy leader of the JLP.
"It does make our police force look incompetent ... As a country we must be embarrassed by what took place (but) the opposition would never make a political football out of this. We would never take advantage," he said.
Jamaicans were more concerned about crime and the high murder rate than about Woolmer's death, said former West Indies cricketer Maurice Foster, who now hosts a radio talk show. Even though Woolmer died of natural causes, the effect of the saga would be to focus attention on the ability of the police to combat crime, he said.
"The JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) has accepted these findings and has closed its investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer," Thomas said, reading from a prepared statement.
The statement did not immediately clarify why Woolmer died but media reports have referred to his ill health and speculated that he suffered from diabetes. The Kingston coroner's office said it could give no details on when it would release a statement on the cause of death.
In South Africa, Woolmer's widow thanked the Jamaican police for the way they conducted the investigation in the face of intense media scrutiny.
"My sons and I are relieved to be officially informed that Bob died of natural causes and that no foul play is suspected in his death," Gill Woolmer said in a statement.
WHO TO BLAME?
Thomas said the Jamaican police had always kept an open mind on the murder suspicions and had carried out an extensive investigation including taking 350 statements from people and seeking help from British and Pakistani police. He appeared to put the blame for the original declaration that Woolmer had been murdered squarely on pathologist Ere Seshaiah, who said he found signs that the cricket coach had been asphyxiated through manual strangulation.
"The investigation team's strategy was based on the assumption that if Bob Woolmer was murdered, it was critical to identify, locate and interview as many people who were closest to him at the time of his death," Thomas said.
But the sudden about-face was likely to embarrass the police force in the Caribbean country, and in particular the lead investigator, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields, a former Scotland Yard officer who has come under criticism from colleagues in recent weeks. Immediately after the initial autopsy findings that Woolmer died of strangulation, Shields said repeatedly that he was conducting a murder investigation and searching for Woolmer's killer or killers. Shields said on Tuesday he accepted the conclusion that Woolmer had died of natural causes.
'TRAUMATIC PERIOD'
Pakistan's cricket board said it was relieved that a period of stress and tension for Pakistani cricket was finally over.
"It has been a traumatic period for all of us because of the unnecessary delay in resolving the cause of Woolmer's death. But finally we are relieved it is all over now," a spokesman for the board said.
He declined to comment on reports the board was contemplating suing for damages from the Jamaican police.
International cricket players reacted with a mix of criticism and relief.
"The way the whole affair was handled was so messy. To give the impression that someone has been murdered is a serious matter," said South African all rounder Shaun Pollock. "It still doesn't take away from the fact that Bob died, but at least this gives his family some closure."
The family of Bob Woolmer expressed relief on Tuesday at the Jamaican police announcement.
"We hope that this matter will now be closed and that our family will be left to grieve in peace," his widow Gill Woolmer said in a media statement in South Africa, where the highly respected coach was cremated in May.
She also thanked Jamaican police for treating the family well over the course of the three-month investigation.
"We realise that this investigation has been problematical to conduct given the circumstances and the media spotlight that has been focused upon it," she said.
But Pakistan cricketers had few kind words for the police.
"It has been a traumatic period for all of us because of the unnecessary delay in resolving the cause of Woolmer's death. But finally we are relieved it is all over now," Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Ehsan Malik said.
The announcement in late March by Jamaican police that Woolmer had been strangulated triggered speculation that irate fans or an illegal gambling syndicate lay behind the murder.
"There is no doubt Pakistan cricket came under great pressure because of the speculations and suspicions surrounding this high-profile case," Malik said.
Malik declined to comment on reports the PCB was contemplating filing for damages against the Jamaican police.
In South Africa, whose national team Woolmer coached from 1994 to 1999, the reaction combined relief for his family with anger at the tortuous investigation.
"Bob left a tremendous legacy in cricket, and to have to go through all this fumbling and bumbling without knowing what happened has been tough," Gary Kirsten, a former South Africa opener, told Reuters.
Current South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said the finding that Woolmer died of natural causes would help clear the air in the broader cricket world.
"It's a selfish point of view and I know this news doesn't make his family feel any better, but cricket doesn't need more scandals," he said.
Jamaicans reacted with embarrassment to news that Bob Woolmer was not, in fact, murdered, after a saga that started as a tragedy, became a mystery, and now turned into a farce. Attention focused on how police appeared to botch their highest-profile investigation in years by announcing on March 22 that they were treating Woolmer's death as murder, and then declaring nearly three months later he died of natural causes. Police defended their performance but commentators said Jamaica's image had taken a hit and the way the probe was conducted could even affect voter perceptions of the ruling People's National Party ahead of elections due by October.
"First it was shock," said political commentator Kevin O'Brien Chang on reaction to news of Woolmer's death on March 18. "Then horror at the fact that he was murdered. Now we feel ashamed at the gross incompetence on the part of our guys."
It has been "a real comedy of errors. You couldn't get any more errors than that. It's a bunch of clowns," he said of detectives involved in the case.
The news cast a shadow over the island of 2.7 million, which deepened when police announced he had been murdered.
POLITICAL IMPACT
The potential impact of the Woolmer affair may go beyond Jamaica's international reputation. When Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller took power in February 2006 she rode a wave of popularity as the country's first female leader but a series of scandals have damaged the fortunes of a party in power since 1989. Cricket fever and a successful World Cup could have boosted the party's fortunes despite criticism over the amount of money spent on rehabilitating Sabina Park stadium in Kingston and building a second stadium near Montego Bay. In one speech, Simpson-Miller, often called "Sista P" by her supporters, sought to capitalize on the attention given to the national sport.
"I have the strength to swing the bat," Simpson-Miller, was quoted as telling a campaign rally.
In the event, the failure of the West Indies to progress beyond the second round of the competition and Woolmer's death in a Kingston hotel dampened euphoria. The opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said it would not seek to turn the investigation into a political issue, arguing voters were more concerned about government failure to invest in health, education, water and rural infrastructure.
"We would never expect it (Tuesday's announcement) to have political repercussions," said James Robertson, a deputy leader of the JLP.
"It does make our police force look incompetent ... As a country we must be embarrassed by what took place (but) the opposition would never make a political football out of this. We would never take advantage," he said.
Jamaicans were more concerned about crime and the high murder rate than about Woolmer's death, said former West Indies cricketer Maurice Foster, who now hosts a radio talk show. Even though Woolmer died of natural causes, the effect of the saga would be to focus attention on the ability of the police to combat crime, he said.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Bob Woolmer Died of Natural Causes
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) ended weeks of speculation by confirming today that Bob Woolmer died of natural causes on March 18 and had not been murdered. In last few weeks the speculations have been rife about the murder investigation that Bob was never murdered and the initial conclusion that resulted in the long and painstaking inquiry was incorrect.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Pakistan cricket team demand apology over Bob Woolmer's murder probe
The Pakistan cricket team has demanded an apology from the Jamaican police, as speculation grows that officers will announce coach Bob Woolmer was not murdered.
Pakistan team spokesman PJ Mir said he had always believed Mr Woolmer died of natural causes, and accused the police of marring the World Cup with the murder investigation.
More @ Daily Mail
Pakistan team spokesman PJ Mir said he had always believed Mr Woolmer died of natural causes, and accused the police of marring the World Cup with the murder investigation.
More @ Daily Mail
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Bollywood director to bring Woolmer death to screen
A leading Bollywood director has decided to make a film based on the mystery surrounding the death of cricket coach Bob Woolmer at this year's World Cup, an Indian newspaper reported on Monday.
Mahesh Bhatt, known for his sensitive human dramas, plans to explore the death of the coach that shook the cricket world though a love story set against the backdrop of the game, the Hindu said. The film is to be titled "Jannat" (Paradise).
"I'm definitely making the film on the entire Woolmer episode though we will not name him anywhere in the story," Bhatt was quoted by the daily as saying.
"We are using a fictional situation, but the people will see the obvious connection."
"The film is not just about the coach's death," he said. "It is a love story against the backdrop of cricket. There is betting, there is match fixing. And because it is a love story there have to be songs too."
Bhatt expects to start filming in August.
Mahesh Bhatt, known for his sensitive human dramas, plans to explore the death of the coach that shook the cricket world though a love story set against the backdrop of the game, the Hindu said. The film is to be titled "Jannat" (Paradise).
"I'm definitely making the film on the entire Woolmer episode though we will not name him anywhere in the story," Bhatt was quoted by the daily as saying.
"We are using a fictional situation, but the people will see the obvious connection."
"The film is not just about the coach's death," he said. "It is a love story against the backdrop of cricket. There is betting, there is match fixing. And because it is a love story there have to be songs too."
Bhatt expects to start filming in August.
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