Younis Khan, Pakistan’s top scorer in Test matches and a former team leader, believes that if Bob Woolmer, the deceased national head coach, were still alive, the country’s cricket would be at a much higher level. Woolmer was discovered dead in his hotel room in Jamaica shortly after Pakistan lost to Ireland and was eliminated from the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Younis stated, “I am certain that if Woolmer had continued as head coach, Pakistan’s cricket would look very different now, and he would have led it to significant success.”
Younis, who played in the 2007 team, also subtly expressed his frustration with the lack of support from the authorities during the investigation following Woolmer’s death.
“I was very close to Bob and it was our habit to sit together after games or practice to talk about cricket. Sadly, the night he died, we didn’t get to do that because we had lost to Ireland.”
“I also didn’t score any runs and felt really bad about it. I went to my room and stayed there alone. The next day, I didn’t see him at breakfast, and we later found out he had passed away,” Younis said in an interview on a Pakistani television channel.
Younis also mentioned that the death of Woolmer and the pressure the players faced in the West Indies made him reconsider being the captain of Pakistan for a long time. Later, it was determined that Woolmer’s death was due to natural causes. The Pakistan Cricket Board and the government sent their own security officers to the Caribbean to help the Jamaican police with the investigation.
Younis mentioned that Woolmer had prepared him to be the captain of Pakistan for a long time in all types of games after the World Cup.
“After everything that happened in the World Cup, I changed my mind and became an unwilling captain, not thinking about staying in the role for a long time.”
Younis also said that after Woolmer’s death, the players were taken to a different island where they were questioned by the local police for three days.
“It felt like we were being tortured there. Even though I understand that players have to act as representatives of their country, it should be the other way around… the authorities should also take care of us,” he added.
