In the press conference following that catastrophic match, Woolmer said this had been one of the worst days of his life as a coach. The only other day that could perhaps compete with this level of hurt, would obviously be the 1999 World Cup semi-final where his then coached team South Africa narrowly missed making the final, where they would probably have been favourites to win (therefore at the other end of the achievement spectrum). Lance Klusener’s famous comment after that match rings out ominously today, “So what, no one died.” (It is another matter that Klusener’s casual attitude had driven his team-mates to great annoyance, and even rage, till 2003 when he was ceremoniously dumped from the team, never to return).

The world’s best known cricket coach was also perhaps the unluckiest. Just as South Africa were exceptionally unlucky in 1996 and 1999 to miss out on the grand prize. And just as the whole doping scandal of Pakistan’s best two bowlers annihilated their chances in this world cup. The pressures of managing a highly mercurial team such as Pakistan, and perhaps the disagreements with a relatively unimaginative captain such as Inzamam, would have taken their toll on this soft-spoken, thinking man (who perhaps thought too much?).

That it had to end with his boots still on, is one of the tragedies of modern sport, where it is achievement and not enjoyment that drives most individuals. Maybe some perspective will be temporarily regained by some, but it is unlikely that anything of much importance will change. Greg Chappell pointed out yesterday that in the next 18 months, India do not have a single month free of cricket. Players can be rotated, but not coaches. The whole money machine is getting way out of control, but that’s the only thing that seems to drive people these days.

Woolmer’s tragic death (which surprisingly is now being deemed “suspicious”) will probably mute cricket fan hysteria in Pakistan to a great extent. Pity it cannot do the same with the obnoxious Indian media (becoming worse by the week) – the latest from one of the TV channels is showing the mourning Pakistani players with saccharine background music, a voice-over asking if this is guilt manifesting, looping a snippet of Shoaib Akhtar mildly pushing Woolmer during a training session, ominous strains taking over the soundtrack, the voice-over enlightening the world about the trouble the Pakistani players gave Woolmer and then wondering how the Pakistani players will deal with the guilt of having killed their coach. Guess this is all about money too. What a different world Woolmer left, from the one he came into.

• holdingwilley on 2007-03-26 10:18:30  - Woolmer
  Agree broadly with Vispi's comments on ex-cricketers' tantrums but not Imran Khan, who is one of the very, very few who does not call a spade an AK47. He was a critic of the Pak team's policies and was under the impression that Woolmer had a lot to do with them. That notion was corrected by Inzamam publicly, so he turned his ire on Inzamam instead. Imran's sense of balance, strength of convictions and their articulation is exemplary and if these were the standards in the media, we could actually look forward to something from those quarters.
  Jaideep

• Shashi on 2007-03-24 08:02:42  - Amen
  Completely agree.
  
  Also agree with Sreeram's piece above...about whether a team wins or loses, emotionally you are just left with no choice but to keep backing the team you support.

• Vistasp on 2007-03-24 07:17:15  - The piece on Woolmer:
  There is one more aspect I would like to add to what Jaideep says, and I think it's particularly relevant in Woolmer's case.
  
  As if the indignities heaped by the so-called sub-continental cricket fan and the moronic TV channels is not enough, one has to also put up with drones that are our ex-cricketers. I don't grudge these men the money they make and I am sure they have a tough job at hand but they are no less culpable in raising undue expectations of the average, lazy, ignorant fan.
  
  Times without number, their criticism has smacked of personal agendas conveniently masquerading as cricketing knowledge. It is rich of Imran now to praise Mr. Woolmer but he was the one who probably made life hell for this soft spoken gentleman at every stage (as is the case with Sunny and Mr. Chappell in our country).
  
  You may have an opinion on foreign coaches but one has to only take a look at all our past coaches and their outdated training methods to understand what misfits they are in the game as it is played today.
  
  I write this after witnessing our nightly debacle against Sri Lanka which virtually rules us out of the Cup; relieved partly that our trip is over because I think we have no clue about the way this lovely sport needs to be celebrated.
  
  This morning on NDTV (or CNN, whatever, they are all the same anyway) I saw an anchor thrusting the mike in the face of a 5 year old cricket fan, trying to force the poor kid into saying Sehwag and India's Cricketers were his favourites earlier, but no longer!!! For the life of me I cannot figure where is the media's sense of outrage and self-righteousness coming from? And to think that NDTV and CNN IBN pride themselves on hiring journalists from the finest colleges of journalism! Wow!
  
  Screw this accursed World Cup: Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman and Sehwag will continue to be my favourites and I will always consider myself privileged and lucky to witness a generation of Indian batsmen who have brought unprecedented glory (even if not consistently so and even if their combined talents should have brought us far more cheers in the final analysis) over the past few years.
  
  Thankfully at least now, we will able to sit back and enjoy the Cup and back some teams that truly deserve to win it.
  
  As for the tragic death of Mr. Woolmer, which is now deemed a murder, let's just hope and pray that no cricketer, Pakistani or otherwise, is remotely involved in this dastardly deed. As if losing this wonderful cricketing mind isn't enough, some of us, genuine cricket fans will now have to watch the doomed proceedings with our hearts in our mouths hoping no further damage comes upon the fair name of the sport we so admire.