For fans of whodunits, the death of the Pakistani cricket team coach Bob Woolmer over two weeks ago in Kingston, Jamaica, is rife with possibilities. And as the police investigations drag on Woolmer’s tragic death, speculation by the mystery fans increase multifold.
Theories abound as to why this gentle of souls was found dead in his hotel room one early morning. And not privy to some of the inside information investigators are reportedly holding from the public, there are bound to be a multitude of scenarios.
For the Pakistani fans, they have to contend with a double blow. Other than the death of their cricket coach, they also have to contend with the sorry exit of their highly vaunted team from the World Cup, dashing hopes and expectations among the 160 million nationals, among many others around the globe.
Mixed with the sorrow for Woolmer is the seething anger at the way the Pakistani team threw away their chances, and was booted out in the first round. They were perhaps in the weakest of groups, with Zimbabwe, West Indies and Ireland, and could not manage the two wins that would have pushed them through.
And Woolmer’s death coming off on top of that disappointment was more than some fans could bear. While reports talk of bungled investigation and inconsistencies in the cause of death, one thing is clear, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
In the speculations that have come to rise since Woolmer’s death, several Pakistanis offered me their own theories during one informal gathering.
One such follower of the game suspected a cabal of bookies who lost heavily betting on the Pakistani team to beat the West Indies.
Watching their fortune slip away as the team succumbed to the hosts was an unforgivable blunder that could only be vented by taking it out on the coach.
Another theory offered was that some players themselves were snared by gold and glitter and were into spot fixing; i.e. throwing away their wickets or giving away too many runs.
The performance on the field by some of these professionals almost validates that, as time after time Kamran Akmal, Younus Khan and Rana Naved failed to deliver. Fear of being exposed might have caused them to conjure the diabolical end to Bob Woolmer.
Another questioned the presence of Mushtaq Mohammed, the spinning bowling coach whose place on the team squad had no validity.
Where did those scratches on his face come from?
Why was Waqar Younus removed in his favor? Was the captain Inzamam somehow involved?
Such theories went on through the evening.
Finally, one of the guests turned over to me and asked me for my opinion. Looking at him squarely in the eyes, I replied, “My friend, if Bob Woolmer was an American, George Bush would have immediately gone on national TV and stated that Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda had done it. But since that is not the case, let us wait for the investigations to conclude.”
