Tragedy strikes at World Cup

BASSETERRE – Tragedy struck the World Cup on Sunday when Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer died in a Jamaican hospital at the age of 58 after he was found unconscious in his hotel room.

Woolmer, a classical batsman who played 19 tests for England during the late 1970s and early 1980s, pursued a successful coaching career with South Africa and Pakistan. He was regarded as one of the most innovative thinkers in the game but was expected to part company with Pakistan after the World Cup final on April 28 even before his team’s shock loss to Ireland on Saturday.”The first time I knew of Bob’s illness was when our assistant manager rang me Sunday morning and said the coach is not feeling well and maybe he is upset,” said a shattered Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.”When I went to see him he was lying on the floor and it was shocking for me.”I will never forget him.He was a very good coach and a super human being.”Woolmer’s death overshadowed a second tumultuous day at the tournament after Ireland beat Pakistan and Bangladesh upset India on Saturday, although the results were predictable with Australia and England beating the Netherlands and Canada respectively.The day began with lurid tales in British tabloid newspapers about the exploits of England vice-captain Andrew Flintoff following his team’s defeat by New Zealand on Friday.Flintoff reportedly had to be rescued from the sea in the early hours of Saturday morning after falling off a pedalo following an extended drinking session.Flintoff was omitted from Sunday’s match and stripped of the vice-captaincy.He and five other members of the England side who had accompanied him on his revels were fined.In Flintoff’s absence, England made heavy work of their match against Canada in St Lucia after scoring 279 led by 66 from Ed Joyce and 62 not out from Paul Collingwood.Canada, who lost their first Group C match to Kenya, reached their highest World Cup total of 228 for seven against a limp attack including James Anderson and Liam Plunkett, two of Flintoff’s drinking companions.Defending champions Australia were in altogether more commanding form in St Kitts, beating the Dutch by 229 runs in the third largest winning margin in the tournament’s history.Brad Hodge, batting at number five in the absence of the injured Andrew Symonds, made what looked like a definitive case for selection for the most important match of the first round against South Africa on Saturday with his first one-day international century.Hodge struck seven sixes in his 123 before Brad Hogg bewildered the Dutch batsmen with his unorthodox left-arm spin to take four for 27.Still, as Australia captain Ricky Ponting said at the post-match news conference, the result of a ball game seemed of little consequence after the death of one of cricket’s most popular and respected characters.”We played a game of cricket,” Ponting said.”There’s a lot of bigger things happening around the world.We sometimes get a bit carried away with what we do in sport.”When something like this happens it certainly rams home that there are other things around you all the time happening.”With Pakistan assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed taking charge of the side for the remainder of the World Cup, Inzamam also chose to announce his retirement from the one-day arena and quit as test captain.Nampa-ReutersHe was regarded as one of the most innovative thinkers in the game but was expected to part company with Pakistan after the World Cup final on April 28 even before his team’s shock loss to Ireland on Saturday.”The first time I knew of Bob’s illness was when our assistant manager rang me Sunday morning and said the coach is not feeling well and maybe he is upset,” said a shattered Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.”When I went to see him he was lying on the floor and it was shocking for me.”I will never forget him.He was a very good coach and a super human being.”Woolmer’s death overshadowed a second tumultuous day at the tournament after Ireland beat Pakistan and Bangladesh upset India on Saturday, although the results were predictable with Australia and England beating the Netherlands and Canada respectively.The day began with lurid tales in British tabloid newspapers about the exploits of England vice-captain Andrew Flintoff following his team’s defeat by New Zealand on Friday.Flintoff reportedly had to be rescued from the sea in the early hours of Saturday morning after falling off a pedalo following an extended drinking session.Flintoff was omitted from Sunday’s match and stripped of the vice-captaincy.He and five other members of the England side who had accompanied him on his revels were fined.In Flintoff’s absence, England made heavy work of their match against Canada in St Lucia after scoring 279 led by 66 from Ed Joyce and 62 not out from Paul Collingwood.Canada, who lost their first Group C match to Kenya, reached their highest World Cup total of 228 for seven against a limp attack including James Anderson and Liam Plunkett, two of Flintoff’s drinking companions.Defending champions Australia were in altogether more commanding form in St Kitts, beating the Dutch by 229 runs in the third largest winning margin in the tournament’s history.Brad Hodge, batting at number five in the absence of the injured Andrew Symonds, made what looked like a definitive case for selection for the most important match of the first round against South Africa on Saturday with his first one-day international century.Hodge struck seven sixes in his 123 before Brad Hogg bewildered the Dutch batsmen with his unorthodox left-arm spin to take four for 27.Still, as Australia captain Ricky Ponting said at the post-match news conference, the result of a ball game seemed of little consequence after the death of one of cricket’s most popular and respected characters.”We played a game of cricket,” Ponting said.”There’s a lot of bigger things happening around the world.We sometimes get a bit carried away with what we do in sport.”When something like this happens it certainly rams home that there are other things around you all the time happening.”With Pakistan assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed taking charge of the side for the remainder of the World Cup, Inzamam also chose to announce his retirement from the one-day arena and quit as test captain.Nampa-Reuters