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Following the tragic death of Bob Woolmer in 2007, former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan vividly recalled the harrowing ordeal his team faced. He described the aftermath as a period of intense distress, where players were isolated on a separate island and subjected to rigorous interrogation by local authorities for three days.
This followed Woolmer being discovered unconscious in his hotel room on March 18, 2007, just after Pakistan’s surprising elimination from the ODI World Cup in the West Indies.
Woolmer, who had previously coached Pakistan from 2004 to 2007, had led the team to notable victories including a 4-2 ODI series win in India and a drawn Test series. His coaching career also included a successful stint with South Africa, during which he guided them to victory in the 1998 Champions Trophy.
In an interview with a Pakistani TV channel, Younis Khan reflected on the tragic events surrounding Bob Woolmer’s death during the 2007 ODI World Cup. According to Younis, the team was moved to a separate island where they underwent rigorous questioning by local authorities for a period of three days.
“It was like a torture for us there. While I fully understand the responsibilities a player has to show as an ambassador of his country, it should be the other way round… authorities must also look after us,” Younis recalled.
Following a collaborative investigation involving the Pakistan Cricket Board, government security personnel, and Jamaican police, authorities ultimately determined that Bob Woolmer’s death was due to natural causes.
Younis Khan fondly credited Bob Woolmer for shaping his mental readiness to lead Pakistan across various cricket formats. He recalled engaging in frequent cricket discussions with Woolmer after matches or practice sessions. However, on the night of Woolmer’s passing, Younis mentioned feeling disheartened after his dismissal without scoring, which prevented their usual meeting.
“I was very close to Bob (Woolmer) and it was our daily routine to sit down together after a match or nets to discuss cricket. Unfortunately, the night he passed away, we didn’t sit together as we had lost to Ireland. I was also out for a duck and was very upset with myself. So, I went to my room and locked myself in. Next day, I didn’t see him at breakfast and later we learned about his death,” Younis added.
Pakistan’s campaign in the 2007 ODI World Cup began with a setback, suffering a 54-run defeat to the West Indies. Their troubles continued as they could only muster 132 runs against Ireland in the next match, which Ireland successfully chased down in the 42nd over with three wickets in hand. Tragically, Bob Woolmer passed away the following day, just before their scheduled final match against Zimbabwe.
Led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan managed to end their World Cup journey on a high note, defeating Zimbabwe by 93 runs through the D/L method in their last match. Despite this victory, the team returned home with a mix of disappointment over their overall performance in the tournament and profound sorrow following Woolmer’s sudden death.
