 Mohammad Iqbal says Woolmer took the Ireland defeat to heart |
Pakistan fans reel from double blow Pakistani cricket fans are still trying to take in a weekend of shocks. First, Pakistan's defeat at the hands of Ireland on Saturday, and then the sudden death of their team coach, Bob Woolmer, on Sunday. Woolmer, 58, died of a suspected heart attack in a Jamaica hotel room, a day after exiting the cricket World Cup following defeat by novices Ireland. Mohammad Iqbal, an inventory controller at a department store in Islamabad, says he felt numb after the twin shock. "I watched the Ireland match right until the last ball, cursing the players and Bob Woolmer for letting the nation down in such a humiliating manner." But then came the news of Bob Woolmer's death. "And I felt that he must have been a good man, a man who was sensitive enough to take the defeat to his heart," he says.
A day later, he feels nothing but fatigue. "I have had enough of cricket. I think I will switch to watching something else."
'Very hard' Khurram Iqbal , the manager of a guest house in Islamabad, feels totally overwhelmed by the defeat by Ireland.
 Hasib Jawad felt like 'someone in the family' had died |
He agrees with Mohammad Iqbal that Bob Woolmer's death must have been caused by the strain resulting from Pakistan's defeat. "He worked very hard, so the defeat must have put him under a lot of strain." Grief and disappointment are writ large on the face of Haseeb Jawad, a student. "Bob Woolmer was diabetic and also had some problem with his respiratory tract because he wore a mask when he went to bed, but I am sure that the immediate cause of his death was Pakistan's defeat. He had worked so hard," he says. Haseeb was given the news of Woolmer's death by his father, himself a cricket enthusiast. "I was with my brother when he told us. Both of us fell silent. I felt as though someone in my close family had passed away," he says.
'Amazed' Bob Woolmer had many critics among Pakistani cricket fans. But Haseeb was not one of them. "I never blamed him for our misfortunes, but many cricket stars and experts did. I was amazed to see one such person on TV this afternoon heaping praises on him."
 Mohammad Amir says there has been too much experimenting with the team |
Others are deeply saddened by Woolmer's death. But they keep their opinions as to his record as national coach. "It is wrong to blame a dead man, but the way Bob Woolmer and Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain of the team, kept experimenting with the opening pair, it was obvious they were not going to get anywhere," says Mohammad Amir, an accountant. He says he does not dismiss claims that Mr Woolmer was a hard worker, but hard work must yield good results. Farhan Tahir, a student, agrees. "The captain and the coach continued to stick to a player with an 18-run average, ignoring openers who had been performing much better." Likewise, he says, they neglected to use seamers on pitches that helped the ball swing.
He blames the selectors as well as the coach and the captain for the troubles that have beset the Pakistani team.
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