|
Bridgetown, Barbados: World Cup teams will be asked to wear black armbands during their next matches as a mark of respect for Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer who died on Sunday, the International Cricket Council said in a statement.
"Robert Andrew Woolmer has passed away today and the entire Pakistan team and management are shocked and saddened by his passing," team spokesman Pervez Mir said reading a statement in Kingston, Jamaica.
Woolmer died aged 58 on Sunday after being found unconscious in his hotel room the morning after his side's shock World Cup exit..
He had seen his team crash out of the World Cup on Saturday after a shock Group D defeat by debutants Ireland at Sabina Park.
India play Bermuda at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad and hosts West Indies face Zimbabwe at Sabina Park, Jamaica on Monday. Both venues will fly their flags at half-mast and there will be a minute's silence before the start of the games.
These measures will be repeated at Pakistan's final match in the tournament, against Zimbabwe, also at Sabina Park, on Wednesday.
Quotes on Woolmer:
"He was a very focused man with a great love for the game but what shone through was the great love he had for players under his charge, everyone meant something to him." - West Indies captain Brian Lara, who was playing under Woolmer at Warwickshire when he scored his world record 501 not out.
"He was a thorough gentleman who instilled team spirit in the team. He was a very popular personality in our cricket team." - Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Naseem Ashraf.
"He was a great cricket man. His life was devoted to cricket. He played, coached and commentated on the game all of his life." - International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed.
"He was very passionate about the game. Many of us had many heated discussions with Bob because he had strong views about the way the game should be developed and he played a very important role with us in those years." - Malcolm Speed.
"Bob will be best remembered as one of the world's leading coaches. He embraced innovation and was at the forefront of many new developments in the game." - England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier.
"I am very sad and I think he took stress after Pakistan lost to Ireland." - former test cricketer Hanif Mohammad.
"He was a tremendous allrounder for Kent and for England and magnificent cricket coach." - Retired test umpire Harold "Dickie" Bird.
"Bob has ... been at the forefront of coaching for a long time. I think he's been a person who has certainly been outspoken on key issues, absolutely well-regarded by everybody, and from a coaching perspective, I think he's left a huge legacy that we can all follow. For all of us involved in cricket, it's a very, very sad day." - Australia coach John Buchanan.
"In the modern era, when coaches played a more important role in international cricket, Bob was in the top echelon.During the period that he was our coach between 1994 to 1999 he was unquestionably the outstanding coach in world cricket." - Dr. Ali Bacher, former chief executive of the United Cricket Board of South Africa.
"He was a very, very close friend, actually more than as a coach.... He was a very respected man. Bob was an extremely professional man, was an extremely soft person, gave his life to cricket and probably paid for it." - former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald.
"It is difficult to think of a man who was more committed to the betterment of the sport than him. From an ICC perspective, we owe Bob a huge debt of thanks as he played a pivotal role in the development of cricket." - ICC president Percy Sonn.
"My prayers and thoughts are with Gill and the boys. Bob was a friend and a fantastic coach who had a huge impact on my career. He was passionate about the game and always looking for ideas. He still had so much to offer the world of cricket." - South Africa allrounder Shaun Pollock.
"I am very sad. It's a very big tragedy and I am completely in a shock. Before leaving for the West Indies, we met each other, we both hugged each other and we shared lots of thoughts." - Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
"He was a great talker about the game and had many ideas,and brought new things to the game. It's so hard to know that only five days ago you're in a swimming pool with him and now he's passed away." - England captain Michael Vaughan.
"He was a very human coach, very approachable, I could talk with him all the time. We could always talk with him about cricket. He loved it." - Netherlands captain Luuk van Troost.
"Bob was a person who had a good vision of the future and always worked towards improving cricket for both the athletes and the spectators. He will be sorely missed because of his cricket creativity and innovations." - West Indies coach Bennett King.
"He has left an indelible mark on the game that he loved and lived for." - India coach Greg Chappell.
"It's obviously very tragic for world cricket, very very sad for his family and all his friends. I feel very sad." - Kevin Curran, Zimbabwe coach.
"It's sad that such a tragedy should take place in the World Cup - I feel sad for his family." - former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd.
|