Younis Khan opened up about the tragic death of the former head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Bob Woolmer, who passed away a day after Pakistan were eliminated from the ODI World Cup 2007.
Pakistan lost to Ireland on March 17, 2007, after which they were knocked out of the tournament and just a day after, on March 18, Woolmer was found dead in his room.
There were speculations about his death that it may have been a murder but investigations by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Jamaican authorities confirmed that he died of natural causes.
Talking to a Geo News' program Hasna Mana Hai, Younis insisted that if Woolmer had remained Pakistan’s head coach, the team would have reached great heights.
“I have no doubt that if Woolmer had remained head coach, Pakistan cricket would have been very different today, and he would have taken it to great heights,” Younis said.
“I was very close to Bob [Woolmer] and it was our daily routine to sit down together after a match or nets to discuss cricket. Unfortunately, the night he passed away, we didn’t sit together as we had lost to Ireland. I was also out for a duck and was very upset with myself. So, I went to my room and locked myself in. The next day, I didn’t see him at breakfast and later we learnt about his death,” he added.
Younis, who led Pakistan to T20 World Cup glory in 2009, revealed that after Woolmer’s death, the team was relocated to another island where they were questioned by the local police for three days.
“It was like a torture for us there. While I fully understand the responsibilities a player has to show as an ambassador of his country, it should be the other way round… authorities must also look after us,” he concluded.
- Younis Khan
