Shock replaces sadness among fans

Durban: Shock has replaced sadness among South African cricket fans after revelations about the suspicious circumstances surrounding Bob Woolmer's death on March 18.

"I hope it is not true. I think it's just the phenomenal stress of the job that got to him," Jai Naidoo, who works as a cricket coach here under the Coaches Academy, told Gulf News.

Naidoo was full of praise for Woolmer. "He took South Africa to almost world No 1 status in cricket. He also contributed to emerging teams like the Netherlands and Ireland through the ICC, as a development manager. I think the stress of coaching a team like Pakistan, which has a fanatical fan following, can be too much to handle, even for a seasoned coach like Woolmer. Undoubtedly, his death is a loss for world cricket."

Selby Mthembu, 26, who has played for the Kwa-Zulu Natal province's junior side, said Woolmer was the most creative coach South Africa ever had.

"He brought the level of our cricket to its highest. And I have never heard anything bad about him. Why would anyone want to harm him? I don't think his death was a result of anything suspicious. South African - and world - cricket owes him a lot."

Mohammad Sarwar, who emigrated to South Africa from Pakistan in 1991 and runs a successful restaurant business, said he felt the loss doubly.

"These are my two teams. And Woolmer did a lot for both these sides. Naturally, I feel very bad about his demise. But I find it very difficult to believe that there was anything fishy about his death. My prayers are with his family here in South Africa."

Woolmer coached South Africa from 1994 to 1999, when he resigned after they were knocked out of the World Cup in England. South Africa won 83 out of 111 ODIs and 10 out of 15 Test series during his tenure.