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KINGSTON, Jamaica - The penultimate World Cup Group D match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe began with an eerie hush, following a one-minute silence in memory of the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.
Briton Woolmer died on Monday (NZ time), aged 58, after he was found unconscious in his hotel room. His team had been eliminated from the competition the previous day after a three-wicket loss to debutants Ireland in the shock result of the tournament.
Jamaican police said on Wednesday that they were treating the circumstances as 'suspicious'.
Kamran Akmal and Imran Nazir opened the batting for Pakistan and one wondered whether Akmal's promotion was a tribute to Woolmer, an avid supporter of the wicketkeeper batting at the top of the order despite mixed success.
Akmal appeared as though he may just have something special planned in Woolmer's memory following a graceful cover drive off Tawanda Mupariwa. But he departed next over for 15 when edging an Elton Chigumbura lifter to make it 31-1.
With both teams wearing black armbands there was a strange feel to the match with each side having completely different agendas.
A sombre and grieving Pakistan, trying hard to put on a brave face in spite of their difficulties, would probably rather not have been there.
Already out of the tournament and trying to cope with the loss of Woolmer, a father figure to many of the team, it was also the final match under Inzamam-ul-Haq's captaincy. Emotions were running high.
Conversely, the Zimbabweans could maintain their hopes of progressing to the Super Eights stage ahead of Ireland with a victory, depending on Ireland's match with West Indies on Friday and the resultant net run rate.
Judging by the sparse crowd of probably 1,000 spotted evenly around Sabina Park, few neutrals had much interest in the outcome.
Certainly the wider cricket world would have been more curious to find out the latest developments in the cause of Woolmer's death.
With many conspiracy theories flying, the memory and subsequent demise of possibly cricket's greatest coach seemed more important than the cricket being played out at Sabina.
Meanwhile, Gill, Woolmer's widow, said that she did not suspect foul play as a reason for his death.
"I don't see any conspiracy in his death," Gill told an Indian television news channel.
"I am aware that his death is being viewed as a suspicious death.
"He had nothing to do with the match-fixing controversy and any such person being involved is highly unlikely. We never got any threats as far as I know," she told NDTV India in a telephone interview.
"I didn't speak to him after the match but he emailed me the following morning," Gill said, referring to the defeat to Ireland.
"He did mention that he was really depressed and could not believe how this could have happened. We discussed some personal issues apart from this."
- REUTERS
