Cricket in chaos
Getty Images Like most of the people following the investigation of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer’s death, I am shocked at revelations by the Jamaican police that Woolmer was actually murdered in his Jamaica hotel room. Woolmer was initially found unconscious in his room hours after fourth-ranked Pakistan was knocked out of the World Cup ...
Getty Images
Like most of the people following the investigation of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer's death, I am shocked at revelations by the Jamaican police that Woolmer was actually murdered in his Jamaica hotel room. Woolmer was initially found unconscious in his room hours after fourth-ranked Pakistan was knocked out of the World Cup by low-seeded Ireland - their first ever World Cup win - in a major cricketing upset. Initial reports of Woolmer's death centered on his diabetes, or the possibility of a heart attack, but after police investigations it is clear that Woolmer was in fact murdered.
So who did it? There was no forced entry into Woolmer's hotel room, indicating either that Woolmer knew his killers or they entered the room dressed as hotel staff. Some reports have mentioned that there was an argument in the Pakistan cricket bus on the way back from the match, but it faded out before the bus reached the hotel. Members of the Pakistani team were questioned for up to an hour as well as fingerprinted. But new reports hint that there could be much more to the case than anger over Pakistan's World Cup defeat.
Like most of the people following the investigation of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer’s death, I am shocked at revelations by the Jamaican police that Woolmer was actually murdered in his Jamaica hotel room. Woolmer was initially found unconscious in his room hours after fourth-ranked Pakistan was knocked out of the World Cup by low-seeded Ireland – their first ever World Cup win – in a major cricketing upset. Initial reports of Woolmer’s death centered on his diabetes, or the possibility of a heart attack, but after police investigations it is clear that Woolmer was in fact murdered.
So who did it? There was no forced entry into Woolmer’s hotel room, indicating either that Woolmer knew his killers or they entered the room dressed as hotel staff. Some reports have mentioned that there was an argument in the Pakistan cricket bus on the way back from the match, but it faded out before the bus reached the hotel. Members of the Pakistani team were questioned for up to an hour as well as fingerprinted. But new reports hint that there could be much more to the case than anger over Pakistan’s World Cup defeat.
Woolmer may have been ready to blow the whistle on those involved with match-fixing, something that has plagued international cricket for at least a decade. Woolmer was about to publish a book, which some claim contained information about match-fixing, and involved the late former, and disgraced, South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, who was forced to quit the game due to his involvement with match-fixing. The book allegedly details Cronje’s possible links with Indian bookmakers. Cricket gambling and match-fixing is serious business on the sub-continent, with bookmakers often steeped in the Indian underworld.
FP contributor Shashi Tharoor writes today in NYT about his amazement that cricket has never captured the American consciousness. Something about five-day matches and short attention spans, no doubt. It’s a shame that this tragic intrigue has put the sport front and center.
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