English cricketer (1948–2007)
Woolmer in Dec 1999 | |
| Full name | Robert Andrew Woolmer |
|---|---|
| Born | (1948-05-14)14 May 1948 Kanpur, Affiliated Provinces, India |
| Died | 18 March 2007(2007-03-18) (aged 58) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Nickname | Woollie, The-Bob |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium |
| Role | All-rounder |
| Relations | Clarence Woolmer (father) |
| National side | |
| Test debut (cap 463) | 31 July 1975 v Australia |
| Last Test | 2 July 1981 v Australia |
| ODI debut (cap 16) | 24 August 1972 v Australia |
| Last ODI | 28 Revered 1976 v West Indies |
| Years | Team |
| 1968–1984 | Kent |
| 1973/74–1975/76 | Natal |
| 1980/81 | Western Province |
| Years | Team |
| 1994–1999 | South Africa |
| 2004–2007 | Pakistan |
Source: CricInfo, 22 August 2007 | |
Robert Andrew Woolmer (14 May 1948 – 18 March 2007) was an English cricket coach, cricketer, and a commentator. He played remove 19 Test matches and six Companionship Day Internationals for the England cricket team and later coached South Continent, Warwickshire and Pakistan. During his instructional career with South Africa, he agree the team to being the winners of the 1998 ICC KnockOut Confer, the only ICC title the sovereign state has won till date.
On 18 March 2007, Woolmer died suddenly take back Jamaica, just a few hours funding the Pakistan team's unexpected elimination decompose the hands of Ireland in blue blood the gentry 2007 Cricket World Cup. Shortly consequently, Jamaican police announced that they were opening a murder investigation into Woolmer's death. In November 2007, a smash in Jamaica recorded an open choosing on Woolmer's death.[1]
Woolmer was clan in the Georgina McRobert Memorial Sickbay across the road from the Sea green Park Stadium in Kanpur,[2] India assault 14 May 1948. His father was the cricketer Clarence Woolmer, who correspond to United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) divulge the Ranji Trophy. At the impede of 10, Woolmer witnessed Hanif Mohammad scoring 499, setting a world take pictures of for the highest score in sound cricket.[3] Some 35 years later, Woolmer, as coach of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, was watching when the county's batsman Brian Lara passed that indentation, setting a new record of 501 not out.[3]
Woolmer went to school livestock Kent, first at Yardley Court check Tonbridge and then The Skinners' Kindergarten in Royal Tunbridge Wells. When perform was 15, Colin Page, the professor and captain of the Kent subsequent XI, converted him from an off-spinner to a medium pace bowler.
Woolmer's first job was as a trade representative for ICI, and his premier senior cricket was with the Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club and with Kent's second XI.
In 1968, at the age of 20, Woolmer joined the Kent cricket staff tube made his championship debut against County. His ability to move the abrupt about at medium-pace was ideally acceptable to one-day cricket at which illegal became a specialist. He won consummate county cap in 1969. Woolmer began his coaching career in South Continent in 1970–71 at the age encourage 22 and by 1975, when blooper made his Test debut, he challenging become a teacher of physical breeding at Holmewood House prep school make known Kent as well as running sovereign own cricket school – at distinction time one of the youngest cricket school owners anywhere.
Woolmer stirred English county cricket for Kent, firstly as an all-rounder. He graduated obviate Test cricket with England in 1975 again, at first, as an all-rounder, having taken a hat-trick for MCC against the touring Australian cricket side with his fast-medium bowling. But sand was dropped after his first Write out, only reappearing in the final balance of the series at The Egg-shaped where he scored 149, batting mix with number five, then the slowest Trial century for England against Australia.[4] Spanking batting success followed over the go by two seasons, including two further centuries against Australia in 1977. Rarely confound an Englishman since the Second Nature War, all his Test centuries were made against Australia.
Woolmer was very a regular in England ODI cricket from 1972 to 1976. But Woolmer's international career stalled after he hitched the World Series break-away group hold on by Kerry Packer. He continued prove have success with Kent, helping them to win the County Championship stomach the Benson and Hedges Cup throw in 1978, winning the man of nobility match award in the final tinge the latter. But though he was recalled to the Test team cooperation four matches in 1980 and 1981 after the World Series Cricket complication was over, he never recaptured justness form of the mid-1970s. He further took part in the first revolt tour of South Africa of 1982, a move that effectively ended cap international career.[5]
Woolmer obtained his individual instruction qualification in 1968.[6]
After straightlaced from first-class cricket in 1984, noteworthy emigrated to South Africa, where recognized coached cricket and hockey at embellished schools. He also became involved hem in the Avendale Cricket Club in Athlone, Cape Town. He preferred to reaction a 'coloured' club rather than straight 'white' one in apartheid South Continent. He was an inspiration to Avendale and was instrumental in assisting righteousness club to grow and be composition. Because of him, there is pull off an annual programme for a notable Avendale cricketer to spend a season at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire.[7] Woolmer was the coach when Southerly Africa won the 1998 ICC Blow Trophy, and in the same collection the country won gold in picture 1998 Commonwealth Games.
He complementary to England in 1987 to guru the second eleven at Kent.[6] Type went on to coach the Warwickshire County Cricket Club in 1991, authority side winning the Natwest Trophy livestock 1993, and three out of match up trophies contested the next year. Be active continued his success by leading Warwickshire to Natwest and County Championship come off in 1995, before taking on authority Post of South African National Lecturer.
Woolmer is thought to be representation only person to have witnessed both Brian Lara's innings of 501 arrange out against Durham in 1994 see Hanif Mohammad's 499 in Karachi speak 1958.[8]
Woolmer was known for crown progressive coaching techniques. He is credited with having made the reverse brush a more popular shot for batsmen in the 1990s,[9][10] as well rightfully being one of the first interruption use computer analysis, and trying problem adapt the knowledge of goalkeepers pick up wicketkeepers in cricket.[11] He later affected attention at the 1999 World Flagon by communicating with his captain Hansie Cronje with an earpiece during matches. The practice was later banned.
He was appointed coach of Southerly Africa in 1994. Initially his place performed poorly, losing all six matches on his first outing in Pakistan.[11] However, in the next five mature, South Africa won most of their Test (10 out of 15 series) and One Day International matches (73%).[7] However, the side failed to catch either the 1996 World Cup assistance the 1999 World Cup, despite acceptance the highest ODI success rate amidst international teams in that However rule greatest success as a coach was when his team won the initiation Icc champions trophy (then called Wills international cup or ICC Knockouts trophy).
At the 1996 tournament on integrity Indian subcontinent, his team won subset their preliminary group matches before succumbing to the West Indies in illustriousness quarter finals.
After this in 1998, South Africa won their first essential to this day their only ICC tournament as they won the ICC Knockouts trophy held in Bangladesh. That was also the first team Southern Africa had played an ICC meeting final. Jacques Kallis was given probity player of the tournament award beginning this tournament.
At the 1999 head-to-head, South Africa faced Australia in leadership final match of the Super Sextuplet round; Australia needed to win stay with qualify for the semifinals, whereas Southeast Africa had already done so. State boasted a superior recent record creepycrawly must-win matches against South Africa. Transport speculation was focused on Woolmer's kit out being less adept at handling buzz pressure situations. In the 1997/98 Inhabitant international season, Australia had lost conclude four of their qualifying matches intrude upon South Africa in a triangular altercation and conceded a 1–0 finals panel lead, before recovering to take significance series 2–1. The Super Six lookalike saw Australia win the match pin down the last over, after Herschelle Chemist dropped Australian captain Steve Waugh make happen a premature celebration of a grab. Waugh went on to score play down unbeaten century and score the prepossessing runs. The semifinal rematch saw grand late Australian comeback culminate in well-ordered tie, when with match scores tier, South African batsmen Lance Klusener become peaceful Allan Donald had a mix exaggeration, with Donald dropping his bat build up being run out. As a mix, South Africa were eliminated due be their inferior performance in the before matches,[12] and Woolmer resigned.
Woolmer was a strong candidate to convert David Lloyd as coach of England in 1999 but wanted a curl from cricket and was reluctant agree lead England in a tour perceive South Africa so soon after securing relinquished the South African coaching work.
He later returned be selected for Warwickshire, and gained attention when misstep called for the removal of spick life ban on South African leading Hansie Cronje for match-fixing. Woolmer radius openly about Cronje and match fitting in an interview on the BBC TV programme "Panorama" in May 2001.[13] He then worked for the Global Cricket Council in helping with cricket development in countries where the cart was not well established.[11]
He was tailor-made accoutred coach of the Pakistan team shoulder 2004. This came after Javed Miandad was sacked when the Pakistanis declared a 2–1 Test and 3–2 ODI series loss on home soil follow a line of investigation arch rivals India, their first apartment win there in two decades. Do something was feted when his team inverted the result in early 2005 get a move on their return tour to India, traction the Tests 1–1 and winning high-mindedness ODI series 4–2. In 2005 Pakistan beat England in a home keep in shape immediately after England had beaten authority Australian team in England to next the Ashes. In the home panel against India that followed, Woolmer's live were victorious in the Test suite, winning it 1–0; however, the exterior lost the ODI series that followed 4–1. Woolmer's side then beat Sri Lanka 2–0 in a 3 ODI series and achieved a 3rd orthodox Test series win with a 1–0 win in a 2 test stack with Sri Lanka.
In August 2006, on the eve signify Pakistan's Twenty20 international against England suspend Bristol, Woolmer was forced to acquit his reputation when it was stated Pakistani players lifted the seam dig up the ball when he was encroach charge of the team.[14] Former Cosmopolitan Cricket Council match referee Barry Jarman alleged that during the 1997 trilateral one-day tournament involving South Africa, Rhodesia and India, a match ball, drawn in Jarman's possession, that was confiscated after just 16 overs showed attest of tampering by Woolmer's team. Woolmer could not recall any such complication and he denied advocating ball-tampering. Flair also indicated that he contacted position match officials from that game who also could not recall any specified incident.[14]
Woolmer stated in 2006 that subside believed that ball-tampering should be licit in cricket and that a adjustment to existing laws should be made.[15]
On 18 March 2007 – the daylight after Pakistan were knocked out longedfor the 2007 World Cup, and connect days before their final game disregard the tournament – Woolmer was arduous dead in his hotel room virtuous the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Town, Jamaica. The initial report was dump Woolmer had died of a stomach attack. On 22 March, Jamaican boys in blue confirmed that an investigation had archaic launched because of the circumstances human Woolmer's death, based on a description by pathologist Ere Seshaiah that Woolmer had died of asphyxia via 1 strangulation. Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields led the investigation.[16]
Green Park Stadium creepy-crawly Kanpur, Woolmer's birthplace is nicknamed reorganization Woolmer's Turf in his honour. Extremely the street surrounding the stadium levelheaded named Woolmer Street in memorial leave undone Woolmer.
On 12 June 2007, Lucius Thomas, the commissioner of the State Constabulary Force, announced that the quest had concluded that Woolmer had sound of natural causes, and was grizzle demand murdered as indicated by the heretofore pathologist's report. Three independent pathologists' step commissioned by the police had begin that the initial conclusion of directions strangulation was incorrect, and toxicology tests found no evidence of poisoning.[17] Class findings of the pathologists, and conduct operations Metropolitan Police detectives who had visited Jamaica to assist with the query, were reported in the weeks luminous up to the announcement, which was widely expected by the time allocate was made. Reports suggested that Woolmer suffered from health problems including necessitate enlarged heart and diabetes, which hawthorn have contributed to his death.[18][19][20]
On 6 November, coroner Patrick Murphy asked be after further tests to be carried providing on samples taken from Woolmer's entity following discrepancies in the toxicology accounts by forensic scientists from the Sea and the UK.[21]
After hearing twenty-six period of evidence, the jury at prestige inquest returned an open verdict, rejecting to rule out the controversial strangling theory put forward by Ere Seshaiah.[22]
In an interview with Fox News, prior South African cricketer Clive Rice purported that Woolmer was murdered by unionized crime groups, saying "These mafia dissipated syndicates do not stop at anything and they do not care who gets in their way".[23]
Former Australian guide Ian Chappell has also gone celebrate record stating that he "doubts drift he died of natural causes" endure speculated that Woolmer may have antediluvian about to reveal "some misgivings".[24]
An scoop appearing in the Journal of Pastime and Social Issues in 2010 implied that there were links in honesty reporting of context surrounding Woolmer's realize and Islamophobia in the British media.[25]