Police confirm Woolmer not murdered

Jamaican police have completed an embarrassing reversal today with the announcement that Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was not murdered and the investigation is now officially closed.

Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room shortly after Pakistan were eliminated from the 2007 World Cup by Ireland. On advice from a local autopsy report, police began a murder investigation and nationwide manhunt to find the killers. Speculation was rife that the death was linked to a betting and matchfixing ring. However, with a more detailed investigation from Scotland Yard, it became clear that Woolmer wasn’t murdered and in fact died of natural causes.

“Mr Woolmer died of natural causes,” Jamaica Constabulary Force commissioner Lucius Thomas said today.

“The JCF accepts these findings (of further toxicology tests) and has now closed its investigation into the death of Mr Bob Woolmer.

“Neither the ICC nor the JCF have found any evidence of any impropriety by players, match officials nor management during the investigation of Woolmer’s death.

“My hope is that despite the trauma of the last two and half months, Mrs Woolmer and her sons will be confident that the JCF has done all it can to establish the truth surrounding the death of her husband.”

Woolmer’s widow has expressed her relief at the findings saying she can finally attempt to find some closure on the issue.

“We are relieved that it has been officially announced that Bob died of natural causes. It is now over,” she said in a statement.

The Pakistan Cricket Board have also welcomed the findings.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board shows great satisfaction over the fact that the truth has finally come out,” the PCB said in a statement.

“This verdict will be a relief for the wife and family of late Bob Woolmer, Pakistan cricket team and the people of Pakistan, who all have been feeling greatly distressed by the rumours that have been clouding the cricket world since this sad incident.”

Pakistan players were questioned and fingerprinted after the incident. As a result, some prominent figures in Pakistan such as former captain Imran Khan and batsman Mohammad Yousuf have called for legal action to be taken against the Jamaican police.

“The PCB should take legal action. But it’s not up to the players. We cannot sue the Jamaican police. It is a matter to be handled by the PCB,” Yousuf said.

“It was their investigation. It was OK and we cooperated, but we were fingerprinted and not allowed to leave, which added to our pain of being knocked out of the World Cup.”