CCTV footage may show killer
Jamaican police have confirmed they are studying “critical” CCTV footage of the hotel where Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was murdered.
Woolmer was found dead last Sunday after being strangled in the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, the day after Pakistan were surprisingly knocked out of the World Cup by Ireland.
Police are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, with speculation rife that Woolmer, 58, may have been preparing to speak out on match-fixing.
Woolmer’s room was on the 12th floor of the hotel and police feel he may have known his killer - or killers - as there was no sign of forced entry.
Deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said: “We are still looking at CCTV. It is pretty comprehensive.
“Unfortunately, it does not show the doors but shows the corridors at either end and will give us an indication who was on that floor.
“It is critically important because it may give us an image or images of the killer of Bob Woolmer.”
The Pegasus Hotel where Woolmer was murdered Buy this photoShields also played down reports Woolmer had been involved in an argument with players on the team bus after the Ireland defeat at Sabina Park.
The Pakistan team have now left Jamaica and are in London en route to Lahore. The entire party were questioned by police during the week with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Mushtaq Ahmed required for further questioning before their departure on Saturday.
“This is standard procedure,” Shields added, pointing out that this was merely to complete formalities and clear up ambiguities.
Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Pervez Mir denied claims from former PCB chairman Shahryar Khan that there was friction between Inzamam and Woolmer.
“What we have had here is complete co-operation and fantastic team work between Inzamam and Bob Woolmer,” Mir said.
“Mr Shaharyar Khan is entitled to his opinion but if all this happened under his tenure he has to be answerable for that.”
Khan, who resigned after the ball-tampering furore at the Brit Oval last year, said that Woolmer enjoyed a reasonable relationship with the players, but there were problems with Inzamam.
Woolmer was well liked, according to Shaharyar Khan “There were a few confrontations [between Bob and his players],” Khan said. “But invariably Bob did not take umbrage at various players sulking or even addressing harsh words to him because they’d been left out or asked to go home from a series.
“Generally, he had a very good relationship with the boys because he took so much trouble.”
Despite getting on well with the players, Shaharyar claims Woolmer was never able to stamp his authority on the squad.
“He never really had full control of the team, either spiritual or cricketing, because this lay with the captain most of the time,” Khan told BBC Radio Five Live.
“There was always a question mark regarding Bob taking total control of the team in every sense.
“There was resistance from Inzamam and perhaps successful resistance. Inzamam was the leader, the unquestioned leader of the team.
“They (the players) all fell in place around him and were totally supportive of Inzamam. Bob found it difficult sometimes.
“Bob felt he should have had full control of the team but in fact he didn’t.”