‘It was like a torture’ – Younis Khan admits getting interrogated for three days after Bob Woolmer’s demise

The cricket fraternity came to a standstill during the ODI World Cup in 2007 as Pakistan head coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica a few hours after the Men in Green lost to Ireland and subsequently crashed out of the competition.

Younis Khan, who was a part of the Pakistan team at the marquee event, asserted that Woolmer could have taken the Asian giants to great heights had he been the coach of the team for a longer period.

“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 on a Pakistani TV channel.

Younis, who is a former Pakistan captain and the country’s leading run-getter in Tests, said that he had a daily routine of sitting down with Woolmer after matches or net sessions to discuss cricket. However, the right-handed batter said he skipped meeting the former England cricketer after the game against Ireland as he was disappointed with his performance.

“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 learned about his death,” Younis stated.

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Authorities must also look after us: Younis Khan

Younis added that Woolmer’s demise and the stress the players had to undergo in the Caribbean changed his mind about captaining Pakistan for a long duration. Woolmer’s death was later ruled due to natural causes after the Pakistan Cricket Board and the government sent their own security officials to the West Indies to work with the Jamaican police.

Younis said Woolmer had mentally prepared him to lead Pakistan for a long duration across formats following the World Cup.

“After what all happened in the World Cup, I changed my mind and I became a reluctant captain and had no long-term tenure in mind,” the 46-year-old stated.

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Younis indirectly expressed his displeasure at the lack of support the players got from their authorities when they were being investigated after Woolmer’s death. He said that the players were taken to another island and were interrogated for three days by the local police.

“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,” Younis mentioned.

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